Hylian Kings
by CrazygurlMadness
Summary: AU, Zelink. The eternal conflict between facing pain and running from it. In a world ruled by the Evil King, Link has to make the decision between running from himself in exile, or helping his childhood friend to reclaim her throne.
1. Overthrow Brewing

**Yes. I know. NA is still waiting. I know. I know. But this is a little treat on my part.**

**A finished story. I know. Amazing, considering that NA has been running longer than this has taken to write, but what can I say? I finished writing it past midnight on August 13th. Well, I guess it's actually August 14th. But you know what I mean.**

**The whole point of this is that I always wanted to exploit the basic plot outline for Disney's The Lion King, and make it more dramatic and bloody. (Yeah, I know. Loose-screwed. I know.) Plus, my love for the Legend of Zelda made the mix inevitable.**

**I'll be posting each chapter at random intervals. But you can pick this up without fear, because trust me: the finished story is sitting right here, in my computer. All of it. From this First Chapter to the very last one.**

**A side-note: the reason, amongst others, that NA was so slow is because of this. So consider it like a good reason.**

**Also, for those who think this is just Disney's movie rearranged to fit my fanfic author needs, huh, come again. Because a lot of things in here have been changed. Emphasis was put where I believe it needed to be put, and I added to the unseen parts of the animated movie. I imagined new sequences to the story, and I made a big effort to modify a few things that annoyed me about the movie. So it's pretty much a whole new story.**

**In any case, let me outline the basics to you:**

**The first two chapters are those of childhood. The remaining eleven chapters are those of adulthood. You'll notice the winks I made to other sources, I'm sure.**

**Alright. This author's note is turning out to be long when it's not meant to be. So, **_BEFORE YOU START, PLEASE BE AWARE_** that this story was not censored, in any way. It was written as I felt it needed to be written. Therefore, there will be violence, some sexuality, and language. There will be more particular warnings at the beginning of each specific chapter. This does not apply, for example, to this chapter.**

**With that said, please enjoy this story. X)**

**Hylian Kings**

**By CM**

**First Chapter: Overthrow Brewing**

"Your majesty," Harkinian's advisor welcomed. "Master Rauru is ready for the child."

Harkinian and his wife, smiling, came through the doors, and into a small room. An elderly man in bright orange robes was washing his hands. He turned to them, and his concentrated frown became a warm, heartfelt smile. Outstretching his hands to the queen, he carefully took the tiny bundle of blankets, and pressed it to his chest. His kindly eyes took in the pink, little creature wrapped up there. He shot his king a smile.

"She will be a beautiful maiden, when the time comes," he complimented. The queen blushed with pleasure.

"I suppose the crowd is waiting," King Harkinian proudly declared. Rauru nodded.

"Yes, you're right, majesty."

The priest took a droplet of honey from a vial, and poured it onto the baby's skin, smudging it gently. The little girl whimpered at the feeling of the sticky substance, but did not cry. A tiny, upset tear came out of her closed lid.

"Now, now, princess," Rauru chided, his fatherly tone calming the baby.

Finally, Rauru ran a thumb over the honey drop, whispering softly, "Your name is Zelda, little princess. May you be as beautiful and wise as your ascendants, and have a fruitful life, with many worthy descendents."

Finishing, he turned to the king and queen, before walking to the double doors, where a loud rumour was heard. He passed the doors, onto a balcony, closely followed by the two parents, and showed the child to its people. Below, the crowd was cheering, celebrating the day.

Back inside, a young woman also carried a child, a baby boy, who was watching the scene with the curiosity of a two year-old infant. He didn't understand what was going on, but the good humour was contagious, and he was smiling faintly, his thumb in his mouth.

* * *

"Listen, Ganondorf, I would like a day off from this subject! This is the naming day of my only daughter! Can we please push this to tomorrow, this once?"

Ganondorf was angrily watching the festivities below. At his side, the king was saluting, smiling, but would talk to him with annoyance. The tall, tanned, bright haired man, master of the Gerudo from the desert to the west, towered above the king with a warrior-like presence. He had his hands joined in his back, and he still tried speaking to the king with a sickly sweet tone.

"Your majesty," he prompted, "some matters cannot wait. My people are dying at this very moment."

Harkinian was a short, round man, with a wobbling chin covered with a thick beard and an optimistic by nature attitude. He was also graced with a very short temper. Ganondorf wasn't helping him.

"They've been dying for the past months, Ganondorf. What will one day change? If your subjects are dying of starvation, then they must be lazy."

"We've been over this matter many times before," Ganondorf angrily growled, before controlling his temper. He toned his spite down slightly. "The landscape does not allow good crops and we've been relying on trade. We need Hyrule's help."

Harkinian huffed, ignoring him, choosing to simply wave more enthusiastically at the crowd. Seeing that he would gain nothing out the ruler today, Ganondorf left his side, fuming. It was bad enough he had to be nice to him, wasn't it?

* * *

_Ten years later…_

Nabooru sharpened her knife, planting it into the wooden table with fury. She let out a frustrated scream.

"I'm hungry!"

Two old hags, hidden in a pile of rags, in one corner, glared at her.

"Shut up, you're making us hungry!"

Nabooru stood from the table, pacing to and fro, clenching and unclenching her fists angrily.

"Where's that imbecile man, that foolish man who has been asking for help from Hyrule for the past decade! We've been eating our own for the past three months! I'm hungry! I want food!"

The old women wailed, their high-pitched screams trying to cover Nabooru's complaints.

The door opened, and a powerful gust of wind, carrying sand into their eyes, momentarily kept the women from seeing the newcomer. The tall figure was wearing a cloak.

"Why are you yelling now?" The voice was deep and angered. Nabooru snorted, sitting down.

"I'm damned hungry, that's why! Can't you feed your own people, you pathetic excuse for a man!"

Pulling down the hood, the man glared at her. Nabooru sniffed.

"Your evil eyes won't fill my stomach, Ganon."

Ganondorf snarled and hollered, "If you don't keep quiet, I'll make sure you don't have a stomach left AT ALL!"

Nabooru rolled her eyes. The two hags, in the corner, finally showed sign of life.

"How are things in Hyrule, Ganon?"

Ganondorf grunted. "The king will be of no use."

"Sure took you some time to come to THAT conclusion," Nabooru muttered. Ganondorf glared at her.

"However," he continued, "I have a better, more effective plan. And it'll be done the Gerudo style."

This got Nabooru's attention. She sat up and looked at him with newfound interest. "What is it you're planning?"

"We take Hyrule."

Nabooru fell back into her seat. She rolled her eyes and laughed. "And I actually believed you there."

"We walk into Hyrule Castle Town, and wreak havoc. We kill the king's advisor, and the king himself. We could afford to hold the princess at bay."

"I heard she had a consort planned for the day when she can be queen," one of the old women risked.

"Bah. A consort's nothing without an actual princess to marry," Ganondorf shrugged.

Nabooru blinked at him, playing around with her knife. "You plan to actually go along with that plan?"

"Are you with me?"

After a long hesitation, she smirked. "You're insane. When do we strike?"

* * *

Link wielded the small wooden sword, crying out with each swing. He was grinning.

"He strikes me with his sword, I avoid it! Oh, ya think you're so great, huh?" He rolled and crouched. "Now he's about to kill me, I kill him! Aha!"

Bursting into wild laughter, Link fell to the ground, holding his sides. His wooden sword fell to the grass. He didn't notice his mentor standing on the steps to the courtyard, watching him with a fatherly eye, until he spoke.

"Well, Link, you're cheerful today."

Link rolled over, staring at his mentor with a fixed, open mouthed, smile. He let out a squeak, and brushed himself off as he stood. The tall, broad-shouldered man walked down to him, arms crossed.

"Darunia—Uh, MISTER Darunia," Link corrected himself, standing at attention.

The tall, powerful looking man looked down at Link, chest puffed out, and Link strived to imitate him, though he could not reach Darunia Goroni's stature.

They stayed silent, observing each other quietly.

Darunia Goroni was a strong man with powerful arms and an earthy look. He seemed made of dirt and rock. His skin was strongly tanned, and his hair was wild, a tawny colour. He didn't seem fit for war, and rather for farming, but had nonetheless worked his way to the king's military advisor. He was a trusted friend of royalty, and thus greatly respected.

Six years ago, he'd taken Link in after his mother died. The woman had been a kindred subject of the queen, and her husband, one of Darunia's best friends, had died in combat. Out of respect for both of them, Goroni chose to adopt the baby boy, and raise him as one of the future knights to the kingdom of Hyrule.

Link was a quick, mischievous boy; a healthy, energetic promise. He'd shown great learning skills and enthusiasm. His bright blue eyes were full of laughter, with that twinkle of unexpected. His dirty blonde locks reminded Darunia of his father's, and his grin stayed plastered on his face at all times. His favourite colour, to Darunia's surprise, had turned out to be green, as his father would have chosen.

The two had an odd relationship. They viewed each other as family members, but always kept at a respectful distance of each other, as would a teacher and his student.

When they strolled the busy market streets, they looked very strange. On one side, the frightening giant, and on the other, the tiny, cheerful boy, and they walked together.

And so Darunia raised a thick eyebrow, as Link refrained from a smile, pressing his lips together, rocking on the ball of his feet. Finally, Darunia sighed loudly, the sound whooshing.

"Alrighty, Little Link. You've been convoked. Royally. Royally convoked."

Link immediately lost countenance.

"What? By the king?"

Darunia rolled his dark, amused eyes.

"No, Link. The Princess."

The boy pouted, slumping. He hopped over to Darunia's side as the mentor proudly started walking. Link looked up, craning his neck.

"Mister Darunia," he mumbled with a tiny whine, "why does the princess want to talk to me?"

"She'd like to play," Darunia said.

Link grimaced, tongue pulling out. "Ew, girl games!" He lowered an eyebrow, and glanced up at Darunia. "Are you sure that no one found a girl disease yet?"

Darunia's chuckle was a low rumble. "Nothing that will keep you away from the princess' games just yet, Link."

Link's complaint was cut short, as Darunia reached wide doors, which gave into a smaller, circular courtyard. They both paused. Darunia looked at Link, eyeing him.

"Where's your wooden sword?"

Link looked down at his belt, and scowled. "I forgot it back there."

Darunia sighed once more. "Link, a knight never forgets his sword on the scene of combat."

"I know, I know."

"Link!"

The boy and his mentor turned to look at a cute little girl, who'd run through the gate and was smiling broadly at them. Link grinned weakly. Darunia bowed respectfully.

"Princess."

Princess threw the military advisor a lovely smile.

She was a very cute little girl, with pale blonde hair and bright blue eyes, with a kind, optimistic glint in them. She wasn't disobedient, but she liked adventures and was curious of everything. Locked up in the palace walls, she wanted friends. And she'd found one.

She shot Link an adorable smile, causing the boy to blush and look away, hands in his back.

"Hi, princess," he mumbled.

"Oh, Darunia, can I please play with Link? Daddy said I—"

"Go on right ahead. He likes it more than he lets on."

"Hey!"

Giggling, the princess took Link's hand and dragged him away from his mentor. Link tried looking sulky, but had a faint, tight-lipped smile. He'd always liked playing the hero in Princess Zelda's games, as much as she liked being the courageous lady.

Darunia watched them leave, before letting out a breath. He turned to smile at his subordinate guards, who'd watched the scene with amused grins.

"Another usual morning, ain't it?" He sighed again, and looked distant.

"It's true he was chosen to be her consort?"

Darunia turned to look at one of the guards, a young man with curious eyes. He nodded. "Yes, but I doubt he'd understand if I told him. Link is only twelve. He wouldn't quite get the implications of that. It's best to wait."

* * *

Ganondorf paced the throne room. He'd been waiting a long time. Now was the king's last chance, though he wouldn't admit so.

"Alright now, what do you want, Ganondorf?"

Ganon glanced at the king, holding back a smile. He knew coming here was useless, but he'd try anyhow.

It was dark out by now. He knew down in the town, his underlings were only waiting for the signal, which he wouldn't fail to give.

He was about to speak, when the throne room's doors creaked open, and in stepped Zelda, holding a small pillow close to her. She peered shyly at her father, all across the room, and padded over to him quickly, embarrassed to be in front of all the dignitaries. Her father patiently leaned over and listened intently to what she had to say. He smiled warmly at her as she finished, and ruffled her soft blonde hair. She held back a giggle.

"He's in town with Darunia Goroni. If he doesn't come back too late, I'll send him over."

She beamed at him, and Ganondorf saw, with mild disgust, that her father nearly melted under his daughter's smile. How unnerving that in a few minutes, she could get him to obey to her every whim, and in ten years, he hadn't managed to convince the king to consider his demands.

It didn't matter. Not anymore.

The king turned back to him, looking completely happy. "I'm sorry. You were saying?"

The dark-skinned man nodded in acknowledgment. "I pray Hyrule, one last time, to assist the Gerudo."

The king sighed exasperatedly. Ganondorf noticed that Zelda was lingering to hear what her father was so unhappy about. No matter. He didn't have qualms about killing her father before her eyes.

At all.

"Now, Ganondorf, we've been discussing this for the longest time. You know as well as I do that such a thing is impossible. Your people have no possibility for reimbursing Hyrule. We cannot simply donate food to neighbouring countries so. I'm sorry to say, if for the last time, that my answer is no."

Ganondorf's amiable smile melted into a smirk. Zelda gasped. He found it amusing that she knew something was wrong before the rest of the room. A perceptive girl, really. Maybe he'd spare her.

Maybe.

* * *

"Mister Darunia," Link whined, "why is this taking so long?"

He hadn't stopped fidgeting since they'd entered the shop. Darunia looked at the boy over his shoulder. The tailor made a loud coughing sound, telling Darunia to turn back and stand straight. Begrudgingly, the huge man obeyed. Link yawned, looking out the window and into the street. People were hurrying to get home. It was already late. He noticed a lot of Gerudo in the town, but he hadn't paid it any particular attention.

Until he saw one readjust a knife under her cloak. He instinctively reached for his wooden sword slowly, not wishing to alert anyone. Maybe his mind was playing tricks. It wasn't uncommon for travellers to carry weapons in town, but it was highly unusual to try and hide it, like… Like you were guilty of something, or about to do something reprehensible.

Link wasn't a fool. Something was strange about the atmosphere at the end of this day. It was charged, like a spring about to surge forth but first coiling tightly. He didn't like it.

He saw another Gerudo, this time looking up and down the street as inconspicuously as possible.

Another, down by the fountain, was looking up, unabashedly, at the castle. As though waiting for something or someone.

They were everywhere. This was highly unusual.

And suddenly, a shocking feeling of dread crawled into his gut. He stopped fidgeting, staring out into the street with panic coming over him. He didn't know why. He just felt something was terribly wrong.

Something was fatally amiss.

* * *

**Review if you think it's worth it.**

**Love,**

**CM**


	2. Fallen from High

**Hello again.**

**Chapter Warning: Violence.**

**Heh.**

**Hylian Kings**  
**By CM**

**Second Chapter: Fallen From High**

Zelda stared at Ganondorf as his demeanour imperceptibly changed. He looked slightly more relaxed as the king refused his demand. Having lived all her life around Ganondorf, to her everlasting discomfort, she knew he was eager to get the king, her father's, approval. Not feel relieved as he repeated his denial.

She had noticed Ganon's gaze slide towards her as she gasped. He seemed amused. Horribly so. There was something sadistic in that look.

She felt something hurt at her heart. Like someone was panicking out there, though she couldn't pinpoint who it was. It felt like her best friend… Link…

Something was wrong. So very wrong. His eyes turned back to her father and with a deadly serious tone, he said, "Well then, I suppose I am left with no choice."

All she could manage to cry out was a long, pained scream.

Ganondorf's sword was in and out of the king's heart in a fraction of second. No one reacted fast enough. The ruler crumpled to the ground, eyes losing their light until they looked dull. Zelda's cry faded, its echoes in the grand hall reverberating all around them.

Then, all hell broke loose.

* * *

"What's wrong, Link?" 

Link had shuddered suddenly, jumping as his skin crawled. He'd felt horror fill his veins, though he couldn't decide from where it came. It felt like Zelda's presence in his blood… Link turned back mutely to his master, unnaturally agitated. Darunia's attention had been drawn to the attitude Link was radiating. He'd always known the boy was a natural fighter and had also noticed how his intuition helped him.

He'd given up trying to make Link rely only on skill, as intuition could be misleading at times. The boy's gut instinct was stronger than any technique he could ever learn.

Link's attitude had changed only in aura. He still fidgeted, looking around. But it was no longer in boredom. It was in awareness.

The tailor retreated to the back room, and Darunia walked over to Link, thus calling to him softly. The fair-haired boy turned to his mentor, eyes surprisingly alight with something Darunia had learned to recognise, with experience, as the light of the fighter.

It came only when the warrior knew, before it even started, that something important was about to take place.

Darunia had noticed the same light, a long time ago, in Link's father's eyes. For a brief second, he was confident that the boy's father, his long-time friend, was before him. He couldn't help it, "My Din, how you look like your father. What troubles you?"

"Something is wrong," Link said, his voice hoarse. "Very wrong." And his eyes darted back out the window, anxious. Darunia frowned, and went for the door. He carefully opened it, peering out into the street. Immediately, he knew what Link meant. There were many people staring up at the castle, and most of them were… Gerudo.

"What in Hyrule…?" He breathed, looking up the street himself. His eyes immediately widened, and he spat a loud curse. Link, feeling uneasy, hurried to his side and looked up at the castle. He said nothing, but his eyes went wide, and his hand went for the wooden sword he wore as a habit around his waist. Darunia's big hand stopped him from unsheathing it, his eyes sharply indicating the many Gerudo standing around.

"We'd better go take a closer look," the large man said, pushing Link in the back and hurrying him along the busy streets.

Up in the castle, there was unusual activity. The guards were running about on the ramparts, battling something that no one could clearly see. Darunia knew.

"I dreaded this day," he huffed as they ran down the streets. "I knew one… But this darned moment… I expected it to be much later, when I'd have an experienced fighter at my side." He glanced fondly at his apprentice, who felt a prideful smile come over.

At least, until he saw what exactly Darunia meant.

Gerudos. They were everywhere. Killing, pillaging. Everywhere within the castle walls. Darunia took out a large sword. He'd once told Link that his older brother made this double-handed sword, a very large man who doubled him in size and was an expert blacksmith who lived up in the mountains. The biggoron sword, he'd called it.

As they passed the gate, Darunia swung the large blade straight into one of the thieves, slicing her neatly in two. Link's eyes went wide in horror, and blood stained his tunic. He'd never witnessed a true, deadly fight before. He felt nauseous. Darunia was the one to snap him out of it.

"Come, we must make haste. Every second spent hurting is a second lost of your life."

And suddenly, what Darunia had always told him, that if you chose to live by the sword you would die by it, made perfect sense to young Link. And it made him feel not only sick, but also horrified. He'd chosen that way of life. He'd die of it.

He wished never to feel pain, and yet, he was aching as he ran up the steps to Hyrule castle. He felt dizzy as the blood flowed and the metallic scent assaulted his nose, giving him a taste of death.

"Hurry along, Link!"

Darunia had paused only once in the hallways. He'd stopped, for one moment, to look at the dead body of another of his comrade in arms, sword still in hand. He'd bent over hurriedly to cross the two hands over the dead soldier's chest. Bowing his head for one pain-filled second, he finally slowly rose and pushed Link up more steps. Link's eyes followed the dead and bloody corpse in terror until it was out of sight.

Feeling shock and adrenaline rushing through his small body, Link only gripped his sword tighter.

Stopping before the open throne room doors, Darunia visibly paled like Link had never seen him do before. Turning back to his young apprentice, Darunia pushed him behind an overturned table. He spoke in a hurried, breathless voice. "Listen well, Link. I want you to stay here, no matter what happens. I want you to not come out until things settle down. If need be, run out. But don't ever come into sight. Do you hear me?" He punctuated his question with a brusque shake of Link's shoulders. The boy mutely nodded, too shocked to speak.

With a final nod, Darunia ran back out and straight into the throne room. From a few cracks in the planks, Link was able to discern a flurry of movements. He heard the clanking of metal, and a few cries of pain he did not recognise. He closed his eyes, as though the painful sounds would stop. He pressed his hands against his ears, but to no avail.

A loud scream resounded. Sure that Darunia, his father's friend and the only pure example of a man Link ever had, was hurt, Link considered disobeying him.

A gasp just over his shoulder made him jump a mile high, heart beating wildly in his chest. He turned in shock and saw Ganondorf, one of the men that always followed Zelda's father around, and breathed softly in relief. He was on their side. Thank Din.

"What are you doing here?" Ganondorf softly asked, trying to keep his voice down as he nurtured a wound on his arm. Behind him, Link heard the furious clashing of swords. Darunia was still alive, then. He shook his head, trying to find his voice.

"Mister Darunia told me to hide, I want to help him!"

Ganondorf snorted. "Well, you are a coward, aren't you? Go fight those villains, you fool! Your master needs your aid, doesn't he?"

And grabbing Link by the scruff of his neck, making the boy cry out faintly, he pulled him to the side of the table, showing him the wild struggle Darunia was fighting in the throne room.

"He'll die," Ganondorf breathed into the boy's ear. "You have to help him."

Link hesitantly nodded, turning back as best as he could. "But he told me—"

Ganondorf stood, unsheathing his sword and kicking the table aside, forcing Link into view. His sword came dangerously close to Link's face, but the boy knew he wouldn't harm him willingly.

Inside the throne room, Darunia was trying to fight back, but the Gerudo woman he fought against was powerful and immensely skilled in the art of killing. Blocking the blade she swung against him, he glanced to the side as a loud crash was heard. His heart pumping in his ears, Darunia's pulse stopped beating when he saw Link at the edge of Ganondorf's sword.

His comrade's son! His apprentice! At the hands of the enemy leader!

"Link—!" He cried out as his enemy's blade sunk into his chest. Blood squirted out, and he faintly heard Link's wail of fear. Looking down in shock at the blade that had been sheathed into his torso, the huge man didn't know what to think. It hurt, first and foremost, but he came to realize that his worry for Link had been so distracting that the split-second had been all she'd needed to end him.

Link's eyes saw the sword sticking out of Darunia's chest, unable to blink back the tears. His sword fell to the ground and he screamed. Ganondorf brought a hand up to his mouth, keeping him from uttering another sound. His foul face came close to Link's ear, and he murmured in the boy's ear, his voice laced with sweet manipulation, "You were unable to aid him. He died for you, would you dare throw his sacrifice away? Run, boy, run. Never return, he'd not forgive you. Run. He died because of you."

Link' eyes filled with tears, could only whimper against the dark hand that was pressed against his mouth.

"Mister Darunia," he breathed as Ganondorf released his hold.

"Go, no one will want a boy so incapable! Run before you get killed! I'll avenge him!"

Unable to think clearly, Link looked one last time at the dead body of his mentor, not even walking into the throne room, turned swiftly on his heel and ran down the hallways, tears flowing down his dirty cheeks. Staring at his small back, Ganondorf felt smug. One good deed, at least.

Behind him, Nabooru was wiping her blade clear of Darunia's dark blood. She stepped up and asked, voice a tad annoyed, "You let the boy go? Why in Hyrule?"

"He won't last long, but you are welcome to kill him should the desire arise in you. I just wish to torment him mentally, then find his tortured corpse in the city streets, blood washing away in the gutter."

"Hmph," Nabooru huffed. "You are one sick man." She paused, before turning back to a quivering mass of rags that had been regal only a few moments back. The bundle quivered with fear as the Gerudo woman approached her with amusement. "What do we do with her royal highness, Ganon?"

Ganondorf, seemingly noticing the small girl for the first time, took her in, sitting in her stained nightclothes, amidst the blood puddles and dead bodies, and smirked. "It would be a shame to kill her. I may marry her someday."

Zelda was crying, too shocked to move or speak. She'd witnessed her father's murder and heard the fatal fight Darunia had lead, having tightly shut her eyes to block out the gore. She somehow guessed that since Darunia was alone, then Link was dead as well. Her small heart shrivelled away. Without her best friend and his mentor, she was naught.

Ganondorf approached her with obvious detachment despite the bloody corpses around them, and looked down at her, like he was weighing his options. Zelda braced herself for a fatal blow. In her head, she recited the prayers her father had taught her.

"O Din, who created the blazing sun…" She breathed in a soft, small voice. Ganondorf bent over to hear what she was saying, before standing straight again and laughing wholeheartedly at her.

"Prayers'll get you nowhere, foolish girl." He turned back to Nabooru, who was watching the girl with a blank and careless face. "Take her to the dungeons for now. Get this place cleaned up and kill all the remaining opponents. Have her room cleaned up. She'll be my future queen," he sweetly added, glancing at the small girl with a feral grin.

Zelda screamed as Gerudos picked her by the arms and dragged her gracelessly down the many stairs and threw her into one of the damp cells. She screamed and cried, begging for mercy, until a Gerudo guard, tired of her wails, hit her with the hilt of her sword.

Zelda fell into an almost complete silence.

* * *

Link could no longer run. He was out into the field, much farther than he'd ever dared go before. He didn't know the place. He had lost sight of the path in the darkness. He had gone numb. His body wanted to collapse. 

His legs gave out beneath him and he fell face forward. The last thing he saw amidst the rain was the thick root of a tree. He discerned a few others beyond, but it did not register in his mind.

He passed out, his heart aching too much for his own good.

* * *

His eyes snapped open when something wet hit his face. A pair of dark purple eyes peered into his, and he had to hold his breath, unsure. 

"I think he's awake, Mikau, now get away, you're scaring the poor kid out of his mind."

The voice was thick and low and rough, like Darunia's… Link looked to the side, and his throat clogged up. It wasn't Darunia. But the man had the same type of appearance. Earthy, country like.

'Mikau', the one who'd backed up to allow Link to sit up, was a tall, skinny, dark brown haired man, with a sharp face. He was the opposite of the other man, but both wore face-splitting grins. To most people, they wouldn't be unattractive, but not handsome either.

Outstretching his hand, which was still wet from having put water on Link's face, Mikau presented himself, "Hello, boy, I'm Mikau, and this big guy here'd be Darmani. A ruffian, but a good one, he is."

Darmani nodded, still smiling, in acknowledgment. "You are?" He asked, and Link, slowly coming to, realized that he didn't sound all that much like Darunia after all.

"I'm Link," he hoarsely said. "Why did you wake me up?"

Mikau looked taken aback, but his smile returned quickly. "Aye, had we known you were enjoying a leisurely nap right there in the mud, we wouldn't have bother'd to wake you up one bit." He leaned forward and said, in a conspiratorial tone, "But we decided on a common accord that for your own good, you'd be better off in the shade, boy, or did you say your name was Link? Link it is."

"I just don't want to wake up again. Ever," Link declared, memories of the evening before returning to him. Darmani looked genuinely concerned. Mikau did all the talking, once again.

"Aye, but what'd be the problem, boy—Link, I mean. Link. What's bothering you, Link?"

The boy shook his head, a voice he barely recognised reverberating in his head, _'He died because of you'_. "I don't want to talk about it," he finally said. "I did something wrong. I should die."

Mikau rolled his eyes. "Now, now. You're working yourself all up for nothin', aren't you? Nobody deserves to die, y'know." He looked for Darmani's agreement, and the large man nodded. "B'sides, if you deserved to die then you'd be dead. How's that, hm?"

"Just leave me alone," Link murmured, standing and dusting himself off weakly. He ambled slowly away, leaving Mikau and Darmani in his wake.

Darmani sighed. "Well, doesn't he look bad, Mikau? I'm afraid we'll have to teach him a life lesson."

Link, whose attention had caught that, felt fear climbing up his spine. He instinctively reached for his sword… only to find that it was gone. He'd left it behind, as with everything else.

_Link, a knight never forgets his sword on the scene of combat._

"You're right, Darmani. I think he needs to hear about the easy life. The real life."

"I know about real life already. And I want to have nothing to do with it anymore."

Mikau made a tut-tut sound, bringing an arm around the boy's shoulders in a friendly gesture. "Dun say that, kid. You haven't lived the life yet, or you wouldn't be trying to rid yourself of it." He steered Link back to where Darmani was still seated. "Now, lis'n well. Everything you did or said is already in the past as we speak. And there's nothing you can do about it. All you have to do is remember that the only way to forget the past… Is to live in the present. Put your past where it belongs: behind ya. And then, you'll understand what the life is."

"And no need to worry about bad actions. Ain't nothing you can do about them. Just learn from it and don't do it again."

Link snorted, but the idea grew onto him. 'Put your past behind you where it belongs.' As bizarre as it sounded, he found it made perfect sense, though it clashed with what he'd been taught.

But it was so much simpler than facing it. And for the first time in an eternity, Link smiled.

* * *

Link's jaw dropped. 

"THIS is your _HOUSE_?"

Mikau scowled, and Darmani refrained a laugh. Link looked between the two.

"Sure, we know it needs work, alright?"

Link found this to be the greatest understatement he'd ever heard. Though the area around was enchanting, with clear water running near, in a tiny stream, large, age-old trees growing all over, a thick, green foliage providing with refreshing shade, the house itself was a vision of misery. The windows, without glass, were only keeping the rain out with frayed curtains. The door was crooked, the wood having absorbed water and then dried in a curve because of its own weight. The thatched roof was in dire need of refreshment. The hay had flattened to a caked clump and probably let a thousand leaks through.

"I never saw such a badly maintained house," Link said, honest. Mikau was insulted, but Darmani agreed.

"Well, we'll show you your room. And we'll fix things. Eventually."

"Does that mean tomorrow or in a week?"

"Before the next rain."

Link smiled weakly. Already, he was warming up to the two outcasts. He wasn't sure what they'd done to come live so deeply in the woods, but without a doubt, they weren't out to get him.

Though something told him he'd have to teach them to live in decent conditions. If he was to live an outcast as well, he would at least find comfortable habits. This shack was a radical change from the twelve year-old's previous home. Link chose not to think of them. He hoped Zelda was alright.

Fear gripped his gut. What if she'd died too?

_Put the past behind you._

It was true it hurt too much to think of it.

Why was he feeling so guilty, then? And why did his small heart tug painfully when he thought of her?

* * *

**Feel free to review. :)**

**Love,**

**CM**


	3. Longest Delay

**I know you were waiting for this part. So here you go. And yes, you'll notice that the seven years thing is a wink to OoT. What can I say? A fan remains a fan.** **I don't think there are any particular warnings here. Well, physical changes, only lightly described. Really nothing to worry about. (Is that even a warning?)** **Enjoy.**

**Hylian Kings** **By CM**  
**  
Third Chapter: Longest Delay**

_Seven years later…_

Seven years passed. Seven peaceful years for Link. Never once did he consider going back. His thoughts ran back up the castle steps in his dreams. It was already too much for the nineteen year-old. In those seven years, he'd grown to know the woods like his realm. He knew them even better than Mikau and Darmani, who had both turned out to be the closest to best friends he'd ever get.

He still remembered the first nights in the Shack, as they'd called it, despite all the fixing they'd done. The Shack had demanded a lot of upkeep, but with appointed tasks and quick habits, they'd made it a lively place, fairly well kept and distinctively home to three males.

Not that Link had met anyone else but the Mikau and Darmani anyway, so the way the Shack looked didn't really matter since its only inhabitants were male.

Link turned the ocarina over in his hands. Darmani had made it for him as a welcoming present. Link had taken care of it for the past seven years, and had practiced the playing of the flute-like instrument to the point of perfection. At times, a few fairy-like balls of lights would wander near, attracted by the eerie, gentle sounds, then fly off quickly, seeing that a human was making them.

Seven long years. Link peered at his reflection in the stream. Only slightly disturbed by the ripples, the same blue eyes peeked back at him, still as warm but much sharper. They had thinned only a bit, giving him a more adult look. His dirty blonde hair had grown to fall into them. He'd taken one of Darmani's razors to keep it relatively short, under control, but he didn't want to crop it too short either.

His features had gone from soft to defined. He'd noticed the bump on the front of his neck, the Adam's apple, and he'd seen various bodily changes. At first estranged, he'd grown accustomed to his adult body, and had learned to use it to his advantage. He was now as tall as Darmani, who had seemed so huge before. He could lift heavy objects, and could do the job of a grown man.

His skin had been pale before, but it had faintly darkened. Fresh air did that to people. His fingers had gotten longer, hands larger, and his shoulders were almost twice the size of his childish ones. Lean, he wasn't bulky, but had easily defeated a wolfos last year with his knife, to Mikau's delight.

Wolfos meat had turned out to be a rare delicacy. And the thick fur had kept him warm during the chilly winter. As for the bones, Darmani had made new knives out of them.

The two men had taught Link to use every last part of the game, down to the emptied guts. At first grossed out, Link had quickly learned to gut an animal and store as much as possible in their tiny barn. They didn't keep animals and hunted only when necessary. Mikau had told him to respect the world and its creatures. Link had thus grown immense respect for the nurturing forest.

Link brought a hand down, erasing his reflection in the water, and brought a handful of liquid to his mouth. He drank directly from his hand, uncaring for manners, which they'd all lost quickly. His eyebrows furrowed as the cold water froze his temples, and he grimaced, waiting for the cold to subside.

The young man sighed and leaned back, closing his eyes against the sun that peeked through the foliage. A faint smile played on his lips. He could hear the stream cascading down a tiny cliff, and he could see the forest stretch very far. On the horizon, he discerned mountains. He believed those were the Death Mountains, home to the likes of Darmani and Darunia.

It was a beautiful day, and he'd taken time to relax. He readjusted his pack behind his head to make himself more comfortable and slung an arm over his forehead, smiling.

It was a wonderful way to live.

"Hey, Link!"

Opening one eye, Link glanced at Mikau as the man made his way over to him. Link didn't speak, but nodded. Mikau collapsed beside him, sighing in satisfaction.

"A nice day, innit?"

"Sure is," Link acknowledged. "How'd you find me?"

Mikau shrugged. "Ya weren't by the Lights Pond, so I knew the only other spot was here. So? Slacking of any satisfaction to ya?"

Link groaned, closing both eyes, and Mikau chuckled amusedly. Link mumbled, "I've done enough for today. I'm not working anymore."

"Darmani ain't too proud of ya. Those deku sprouts ain't going to get clean all by 'emselves."

"Hn."

Mikau shrugged, leaning against the tree and assuming the same position as Link, closing his eyes. The dark haired young man mumbled something that sounded like, "I like sprout salad."

Link smiled faintly, quiet. The sun warmed his face and he wanted to lie there forever.

"Do ya?" Mikau suddenly asked, a bit more intelligibly, and Link wondered if he'd spoken his thought aloud.

"Do I what?" He asked.

"Like sprout salad?"

Link shot Mikau a weird look and said, shaking his head, "Yes I do, what kind of question is that?"

Mikau shrugged, dusting himself off. "Well if ya like sprouts, then ya better come an' clean 'em."

Laughing, Link sat up with a groan of effort, at which Mikau rolled his eyes. Out of the three, Link was possibly the most fit. He watched as the young man stood, brushing dry grass off himself.

"Fine then," he muttered, "let's clean some deku sprouts."

"We've also got some deku baba leaves. They were hell to uproot, but I tasted them. They're crispy and sweet."

"What 'bout the beehives?" Link absently asked as they both made their way down the hill. Mikau shrugged.

"Darmani checked the one behind the barn. But it's been darn dry recently. They hav'n't been producing a lot of extra honey. So we chose to let 'em keep it."

"Alright."

"D'ya check the farmyard for 'tullas?"

"Skulltullas?" Link mumbled, looking over at Mikau. "Yes, but you know they hate the sunlight. I'll be checking again tonight to be sure they aren't eating our crops."

"Fine with me."

"Have you gotten some meat for tonight's meal?"

They rattled on, discussing what had become the usual concerns. Food. Sleep. Fun.

Link looked up at the bright blue sky, feeling satisfied. Life had been good to him until now.

* * *

Zelda looked at the land, awed at how horrid it had become. The ground was dark, grey, used. The trees were dry and in comparison, the pale azure sky seemed dream-like. What used to be a city lay at the bottom of the hill in a poor state. She could see a few inhabitants struggling to carry their few belongings from place to place. She knew that they wouldn't find a proper home. Everything was either destroyed or so run-down that living arrangements were constantly changing.

She threw her hair over her shoulder, sighing and returning her gaze to the book she'd convinced Ganon to let her read.

Every distraction cost an extensive amount of begging, convincing and disappointment. This book had required a lot of effort to get, and now that she had it under her fingers, she couldn't focus on it.

Her eyes flew distractedly to the door, which she knew was locked. Ganondorf would never be so stupid to let her wander the castle alone.

To keep in shape, Zelda had to do stationary exercise. She would usually do so after nightfall, when nobody ever bothered coming in.

Zelda glanced at the tall mirror that hung over a deceivingly rich dresser. She saw a beautiful young woman, if she listened to her maid. The bright light in her ice blue eyes had dimmed somewhat, more subdued ever since the day her father and Darunia and… Link died.

Her long blonde hair fell in curls over her shoulders, wavy in the back. Her maid always said that it was the colour of spun gold, shining in the little sunlight that entered through the window.

Her skin was pale, as she hadn't had a chance to go outside. It contrasted with her dark gowns, so greatly that she looked almost ill. And weak. Ganondorf had jested that it was to help her mourn the loss of her dear father.

At seventeen, Zelda didn't find his jokes any more amusing than they had been back then. Still, she'd learnt years back that retorting to him brought on extreme pain.

Ganondorf had never laid a lustful hand on her, but when he hit her, it bruised her pale complexion for days.

No. Ganon never touched her inappropriately, but she knew he wanted to. Constantly feeling threatened, she had learnt to hide in her room. He never entered it. She knew it was because of the lock. She locked it from the inside, and he locked it from the outside when he was angry with her. Even if he wanted to, he wouldn't break the door down.

Zelda closed the book. She couldn't focus.

"O Din," she absently whispered, as had become her habit when in need to think peacefully, "who created the blazing sun, O Farore with whom life begun, O Nayru who made two become one, have mercy on those we shun, have mercy on those undone, on every daughter and son. Have mercy."

With a split second of thought, she chose to address herself to the Goddess of Wisdom. "O Nayru," she breathed, "I pray you to guide my way."

She was at loss. She wanted to ask Nayru to get her out of this misery, but knew that Goddesses did not respond in such ways. Or so her father had told her.

She'd always hoped that her prayers were correctly executed. She hadn't known much back then and Ganondorf had refused to provide her with an opportunity to continue her religious education.

Would the Goddess Nayru respond to such a vague demand?

She chose to explain herself. "I need to bring my country back to peace and happiness, as it was before. I need help, but I know not where to seek it."

She was silent a long moment, before adding, in case, "What must I do, O Great Goddess?"

Zelda waited a long time, pondering the question herself. A thought constantly bugged her. She was annoyed that it should haunt her, because she knew it was impossible.

If only Link was there. If only she could bring Link back.

Blinking, Zelda paused all train of thought. She cleared her mind.

Link.

He popped into her mind again. She cleared her mind in annoyance.

Link.

How old would he be today? He was twelve years old, seven years ago… He would have been nineteen today…

Thoroughly unnerved, Zelda shook her head, trying to be a bit more receptive to a possible answer from the Goddess Nayru.

Yet, he came to mind almost immediately again. Link.

Zelda's eyes widened.

Link!

How dim-witted she was! Of course! Such an obstinate thought was highly unusual after all.

Zelda stood from her chair, going to the window. His name reverberated in her mind.

Until then, she hadn't ever considered that perhaps Link had still been alive. She'd only assumed his death before. Now it became a bit more plausible that Link hadn't died seven years ago.

She hadn't seen him die anyway. She'd only thought he'd passed because Darunia had.

But knowing Darunia, the warrior had probably ensured himself that his apprentice was safe before rushing into battle.

As seconds ticked by, it dawned on her that the solution for her country's crisis was only a memory away all this time.

And her long-gone childhood friend was her solution!

Where to start searching? She'd have to ask her maid if she knew any young man—how strange to think of Link as a young man!— in the city by his name, and in the eventuality that she didn't, then she'd resort to her last option.

Finding him herself.

Excitement and hope thrilled her. She joined her hands together, thanking Nayru with all her heart.

She'd find Link and save the land of Hyrule. And herself.

No matter how long it took.

* * *

**R&R, children!**

**Love,**

**CM**


	4. Encounter

**READ THIS NOTE OR DIE:** Hopefully, for the last time, I will say this. YES. THIS STORY IS BASED ON DISNEY'S _THE LION KING_. Its basic idea is based on the Disney movie. So yes. Now please stop telling me about things that I already know and have **already mentioned** in a previous author's note, in my profile, in my 'upcoming stories' section and in every other note known to mankind—except for the summary, which is probably the only element of this list that you actually read.

And no, it will not stick to the plotline and spoken text like a leech. It's a **LOOSE ADAPTATION**.

**Now stop reviewing about this and pleasetake timeto read author's notes once in awhile. They're not there for looks.**

**And no, I'm not mad at you all. But reading five reviews in a row that say pretty much the same thing can make one wonder if one hasn't been clear. I'm not talking about the funny and ironic ones. I'm not dumb. I don't think... Well. Maybe. But not dumb enough to not notice when someone is being ironic.**

**Okay, I'm sounding like a bitch.**

**Before I get on with this chapter,** I'm afraid I'll be breaking the news **to a couple of you: _LoZ:Twilight Princess_ has been delayed well into 2006. Which sort of makes me pissed off. But there's nothing we can do about it. If you want more specific reasons, check out IGN Cube. They'll tell you all about it.**

**And maybe you'll see, like me, that's it not all that bad. Maybe that way we'll be spared the utterly long and tedious quest of searching for Triforce shards, like in _LoZ:WW, _and instead get uber cool dungeons at the end of which we'd get something like a Triforce shard. Or whatever.**

**Gah. Just go read the article.**

**Okay, on with the story.**

**Interesting fact: this chapter was written long before the rest of the story. Random? You tell me. But it had struck me and upon re-reading it, I realized it fit perfectly with this story.**

**Warning: Innuendos. You know. Link's a teen. And he meets a pretty girl. It's all common sense.**

**Hylian Kings**

**By CM**

**Fourth Chapter: Encounter**

Summer was at its peak, and the sun beat down on Link violently. He squinted in the bright light, focusing on the task at hand. His shovel kept hitting a rock, and he knew that if he wanted to dig a fire pit for roasting, the rock had to go.

Darmani was busy sharpening the spit, and Mikau was out in the forest looking for firewood. This left the dirty and hard task to Link. He wouldn't have minded, but in the middle of the afternoon like this, with such harsh heat weighing him down, he'd had to discard his shirt and still sweat like a pig.

He wiped his sweat dampened bangs out of his face with a tired hand. His foot was placed on the shovel, holding it anchored to the ground. It was supported by the rock that still was out of sight, underground. He paused for the thousandth time to breathe and cool down.

"Hangin' in there, Link?" Darmani called from his spot a few feet away, sweating as well as he kept swiftly pointed one end of the spit. Link nodded, mouth open to catch his breath. Sweat trickled down his forehead.

Finally closing his mouth, Link got back to work, all along envying Mikau who was out there in the shade of trees.

* * *

Mikau grunted, pulling at a stubborn root. He'd tried getting a solid cord to tie the wood on his back, but this root just wouldn't give in… He kept pulling.

As he was about to give up, his eye caught sight of something moving to his side, in the bushes. He froze, briefly.

"Darmani?" He tentatively called, his voice sounding strangely lonely under the trees. The birds had stopped singing.

He didn't have time to call Link's name, because he was suddenly thrown off his feet and felt a dagger at his neck. He ceased all possible fighting. Eyes wide, he looked at his attacker.

"Eep?"

It was a young woman. Her hair was tied back, and her skin was pale. She wore rags, and she was excessively thin. She seemed starved. Mikau didn't have time to think more, because she spoke. Her voice was hoarse, as though she hadn't had anything to eat or drink or speak to in days.

"Your food," she roughly ordered.

* * *

Link looked up from his shovel, feeling something creep up his spine. He turned to Darmani, who was still busy. Apparently, the odd feeling hadn't reached him.

It was something he hadn't felt since the day of Darunia's death…

It was the impression that something threatening was about to happen. And Link knew. He wouldn't let anything happen anymore.

He had to find Mikau. Without a word of explanation to Darmani, he let the shovel fall to the earth and ran off into the woods.

He knew the place all too well. It was a matter of seconds before he found him.

* * *

Mikau frowned. This young woman seemed half-dead. How familiar… She spoke again.

"I said—"

Before she could end her sentence, she was thrown off of Mikau violently.

Link had pushed her off his friend with as much force as he could muster. He glared at the intruder menacingly.

Catching herself immediately, she lunged at her new attacker with a desperate strength.

Mikau stared as Link and the young woman fought. Link seemed angry, but the woman seemed so desperate that Mikau almost understood her reasons to attack.

Finally, she was disarmed, and she almost collapsed to the ground. Link caught her, anger fading to uncertainty. He was wondering what to do. He helped her to lie down. Mikau started panicking.

"Oh blast, we killed 'er!"

Link sighed loudly, with great annoyance.

"Mikau, go get Darmani."

Surprised at Link's commanding presence, Mikau brought up no objections, and ran off. Left behind, Link stared down at the young woman whose head was laid on his lap. He heard her rough breathing, and saw the wild pulse in her neck. She was so thin it was almost inhuman. Her skin was pulled tight in exhaustion, and he wanted nothing more but to help her get her strength back.

He noticed, however, that she would have been quite beautiful.

Link had rarely seen women wander into the forest. This was the first time one ventured so far. He wasn't ignorant. He knew what women looked like, but to see one from so up-close was his first time in many years. And he took time to notice things that his twelve year-old self would have bypassed as just another weird difference.

Her long hair promised, under the grime, to be quite spectacular. He wanted to offer her a bath just to see if his intuition was right.

Although, his mind suggested traitorously, he wouldn't have minded seeing her bathe even if he was wrong anyhow.

No, this wasn't the sort of thing to think of right now.

He heard her sigh and cuddle closer to him. Her pale hands took hold of the side of his trousers to pull herself tighter against him, and he realized how full her chest was.

He swallowed a lump in his throat.

She muttered some, before opening an eye weakly. At seeing his face right in hers, she started, before letting out a weak squeak. He thought he heard the name 'Link' being breathed as she sat up, propping herself on her hands and arms, trying to get at a safe distance away from him, eyes wild. He reached out quickly, stopping all movement. She started flailing her arms, unwilling to let him get a hold on her. She started crying some more.

"No! Wait! Stop moving!" Link tried desperately, but she wouldn't listen.

Thinking of nothing better to do, he shook her by the shoulders, forcing her to face him, and spoke directly in her face, "Did you call me Link?"

She froze. Her lips trembled. Link peered at her face.

"Who… are you?" He hesitantly repeated.

Their eyes met.

A flash of recognition hit them both, and they let go of each other, as though singed by their respective touch.

"Link!" She cried as she stumbled backwards.

"… Zel… Zelda?"

Her hand flew to her mouth, and his jaw dropped open.

"L—Link!"

"Zelda—Prin—Princess!"

A long, shocked silence followed. And, suddenly, Zelda ploughed forward, throwing her arms around his neck to embrace him, and held on so tightly he could hardly breathe. He wondered where the energy came from as he brought his arms around her waist.

"Oh, Link!" And she started sobbing on his shoulder.

Link's heart was hammering in his chest. He had come to a few conclusions. First off, she was alive. That meant that his concerns weren't founded. Had Hyrule ended up okay?

Would that mean he'd get to go back? If so, then she'd be queen of—

Queen!

He tried to pry her from him, but she clung to him to the point where his blood ran at a thousand acres a minute inside his veins. Breathing became difficult, but not because she was holding on tightly.

No, he'd just realized how close they were. How his previous thoughts came back with a vengeance. She was too well shaped under his fingers, and her skin begged for his touch…

He had to get away.

Now.

With a surprised squeak, she was thrown off and fell to the soft ground.

Link lay on his back, before propping himself up on his hands and trying to get away. Both their chests were tight, in need of air.

The only thing Link allowed himself to keep in contact with were her eyes.

They hadn't changed much, but if possible, they'd grown haunting. And they were crying.

Oh Din, Link realized, he'd made her cry. He'd done something awfully wrong. He'd pushed her away. He had to redeem himself somehow. He had to do something.

"Link…" She breathed between gasps (which made her chest heave in a too distracting way, he noticed, angry at himself), her eyes wide, "Link, why are you here?"

He didn't have the opportunity to answer with a similar question, because, hacking their way through the thick brush, Mikau and Darmani surged over to them.

With a single glance between a pale, exhausted girl and a breathless, panicky looking Link, Darmani sighed and reached out to pick her up.

Zelda saw the huge man come close and screamed weakly, treading as far as she could away from him. Darmani paused.

"Oh, come on now," he gruffly said, "I mean you no goddamn harm."

Link sighed, turning to her. "Don't worry, Darmani only _looks_ big and nasty."

Darmani shot a glare at Link, who grinned. Hesitantly, Zelda allowed Darmani to come closer, warily let him gather her up. With a single heave, she was high up over the ground, and Link stood, brushing himself off. He was smiling, and it struck her how handsome he'd become.

She _had_ wondered how he'd grown, but it had mostly been on the intellectual side before. Now, it became blatantly obvious that he'd also grown in other aspects.

And had nothing to be discarded.

Clearing the way for Darmani, the muscles in his back—he'd been without a shirt and she hadn't even noticed? Shame on her!—bulging under his skin as he pushed the branches aside, Link showed definite physical betterments.

Shame on her to think of her childhood friend this way.

Shame on her for noticing how his dark skin had been really warm as she'd embraced him.

Shame on her for wanting to take him away from this life he'd been leading so long.

Zelda didn't have much more time to think. Link had paused in front of a thick foliage and turned back to Darmani, or rather, herself. He was smiling, his eyes bright.

"And now, Princess," he announced, making Darmani tense in surprise and Mikau, who was wading his way behind them, gawk at her without subtlety, none of which went unnoticed to Link, who continued, though with less assurance, "I present to you: our humble abode."

"Call it the Shack," Mikau said, as Link revealed a small cottage with a thatched roof and a large clearing around it, with a small stone path leading to a clear, sparkling river, and a barn in the back, and thick green grass all around and a small square patch of lined dirt spotted with bright green sprouts. There was a small wooden fence surrounding the vegetable plot, clearly made to keep woodland animals out more than to be aesthetic. The shutters on the cottage weren't coloured, simply made to keep the rain out.

A fresh smell of trees and cooking smoke and heat and water and food hung over the place.

She could see an open-air kitchen annexed to the building, with pans and pots hanging from the wall, a fire hole and a table with vegetables that had been halfway cleaned and cut.

The simplicity and charm of it made her fall in love.

Not even the fineries of Ganondorf could match this heart-warming sight.

Her expression turned sour as she recalled the tyrant. Link noticed and misinterpreted it. He brought a hand to scratch the scruff of hair at his nape, apology in his voice, "I know it's not exactly what you might be used to, but it's comfortable and it's well-kept."

Zelda, snapping back to reality, shook her head, hair flailing into Darmani's face as he prepared to put her on her feet. "That's not it! It's absolutely lovely! I was just thinking of something else! Oh—" She stumbled as Darmani put her back on her feet, and they almost gave out under her.

Link instinctively outstretched an arm for her to hold on. "You're too weak for this kind of thing. Mikau, can we let her stay until she gets better?"

Mikau scratched his head, looking blankly at Darmani, who shrugged. In turn, Mikau answered, "Well, it's your house as well as ours. I sure don't mind, but we don't have a fourth room for guests."

Link shook his head. "She can sleep in my room. I'll be sleeping out. I don't mind," he added as Zelda was about to protest. "I'm quite used to this kind of thing."

"Do _we_ eva' know," Mikau blandly commented, before sighing and heading to the low door of the Shack. "Well, I don't know 'bout ya three, but due to a lil' interruption, I dropped all my wood. As soon as I get a good rope, I'll be right back and help ya with the pit."

Link nodded, country business kicking in. He turned to Zelda. "Let me show you where you can sleep. We'll be preparing supper as soon as we dig a new fire pit. Come."

Slowly, she followed Link and Mikau, the latter disappearing into the winter kitchen while Link indicated her to come over to a set of steps that lead up to an area right below the roof.

"My room is up here. The kitchen is where Mikau is standing. Their respective rooms are on the ground floor. Darmani doesn't like these stairs: he's too heavy. And Mikau just hates the sound of the rain on the thatch. So it's my personal area," Link explained, beaming, turning to look at her as he bounded up half the way. She was still at the bottom, looking at the long way up. He frowned, "Zel—Princess?"

She shook her head, weakly smiling, and brought a hesitant foot up to the first step. She seemed to find the exercise exhausting.

In a few seconds, Link was back down and let her lean on him as they went up the stairs. Her eyes seemed to be closing of their own accord, no matter how much she fought to keep them wide open.

Seeing as how they wouldn't progress this way, he put an arm behind her back and the other under her knees, making them buck and let her fall precariously against him. She didn't even complain. Her forehead in his neck, her eyes fell shut.

He carried her as carefully as he could, bringing her up to the low-ceilinged loft, with the wooden baulks joining a single, long beam that went from one end of the cottage to the other. In her tired haze, Zelda discerned a single bed under the sloped roof, with a crate beside it that served as bedside table. There was a small instrument on it and a metal knife that could unfold. The bed itself was covered in many blankets, probably to keep out the winter chill, and they looked well worn. The place smelled like wheat and something like him.

He carefully lay her down on the bed, and it sunk a bit under her. It was comfortable, she decided as he tugged the covers undone and tucked her under them.

Then, deciding something, he pulled the covers off again and helped her sit up. She weakly protested, eyes drooping.

"Please, Princess, you're wearing a bodice and I don't think sleeping in it will be all that good for your back. Promise you'll take it off. I'm going back downstairs. If you need me, just call."

Bewildered at his show of concern—and knowledge of feminine fashion—she mumbled his name. He turned back to her, genuine curiosity and a sincere desire to help on his face.

"Princess?"

She smiled faintly. "From now on, please call me Zelda. Could you please untie the lace? My vision is all hazy and I would only fumble with it."

Blinking in surprise, he came back towards her, reaching out carefully towards the front of her rags. With a dexterous hand, he quickly untied the knots that had tightened over time. He didn't dare touch her more, especially not in that general area.

She smiled, tugging it over her head with slow movements, revealing her pale undershirt. Then, with equally sleep-weighed movements, she lay on her back again and pulled at the covers. He helped her, making sure she would be warm enough to sleep peacefully.

She smiled, eyes already shut. "Thank you, Link…" She breathed.

Her breathing became even, and he had to consciously snap himself out of it. He just had had the urge to cuddle in with her.

But that was wrong. Wrong!

He stood, making his way back downstairs before he imagined other stupid ideas.

He needed to focus. Nothing like a good ole session of physical work to get a proper thought train.

He hoped she was warm enough…

**Reviews? Please?**

**Love,**

**CM**


	5. The Pond

You'll be glad to hear** that _Nighttime Activities_ part 7, entitled "Equals to..." is already halfway through done, meaning that you should get it sometime this week. If I get off the job early enough.**

**The** first cut **in this chapter is a** flashback**, and it is** not in italics **because I hate italics for more than a few words at a time, nevermind a whole section of a chapter. But it doesn't matter whether it's in italics or not. You would have figured it out.**

**Okay, this time I'm serious:**

**Warning:** Sexual themes.

**Enjoy!**

**Hylian Kings**

**By CM**

**Fifth Chapter: The Pond**

Rain pattered on the thick glass window, covering it with a wet sheet that blurred everything and sent dancing shadows on the cold stone floor of her room. It didn't matter to her in that instant. It was late, almost time for what Ganondorf called supper, which was little more than a couple of carrots and a tiny slab of lean meat. She never complained, eating everything up, for her sake and because she knew her people died of hunger on the streets. She would not complain, because there would be no use to leaving it there. The citizen wouldn't get access to it in the first place.

After supper was taken away, the platter always empty, she was left to her own devices until the next morning. Well, not quite. She was locked inside the third floor corridor, alone to explore. But she knew the third floor corridor too well already.

It looked as eerie as her room. Same humid grey walls, same cold dim light, same echoing silence. Even the tapestries, which had once been vivid and lively, looked dead and tattered, never restored in the past seven years.

Every time her shoes clopped with an echo on the floor, she felt like a gargoyle would step inside and tell her to be quiet. It was an uncomfortable feeling, and also the reason she hardly, if ever, ambled out of her chambers.

Ganondorf had never tried to get rid of her childish fears.

But today, she was different. Today, she waited, outside her rooms, for the maid to open the doors at the end of this corridor and step in cautiously with her meal.

She'd greet the maid out here, instead of inside her chambers.

It wasn't long before the sound of a door coming unlocked at the end of the hallway, and Zelda's eyes quickly darted to her bedroom door behind her, taking a deep breath. She wasn't happy of what she was going to do. The maid would surely die, if not by her hands, then when she was discovered.

All was silent. Somewhere from the window at the other end of the hall, lightning flashed. There was a long pause. Zelda's heart was thrumming so loud in her ears she did not hear the thunder growl.

The maid… had been replaced by a Gerudo guard. The woman glared at Zelda scornfully, but also her eyes were full of amusement. Zelda's voice was weak and un-practiced. Her womanly tone was betrayed by a child's worry.

"Where has my maid gone?"

There was lightning. There was thunder. The Gerudo guard glared at Zelda from within the thick layers of face paint she wore. Her eyes were thickly lined with black paint. She said, with disdain, "She's on the deathbed. Some diseased animal bit her. Where does she put this?" She asked, impatient to get back to whatever it was Gerudo guards did.

Zelda took a deep breath, lifting a finger to indicate her bedroom door. Apparently disgusted by the princess' silence, the guard quickly moved towards the door, pushing it wider open with an elbow and stepping inside, to place the tray on the first flat surface she'd find, and get out of the famed third floor corridor.

The princess gazed at the Gerudo guard's back quietly, and reached for her bedroom doorknob. She pulled the door tightly closed. A sudden quiet inside her chambers indicated that the Gerudo had heard the movement. Zelda turned the lever to lock the door even as the Gerudo threw herself against the enforced panel. From within, cusses, screams and frustrated cries resounded. The princess ignored them. With shaky hands, she picked up the bundle of cloth she had placed by the door, and that the guard hadn't noticed. Slipping the hooded cape over her shoulders, she tried not to shudder as the wind howled against the trembling window and lightning flashed again.

Inside the room, the guard sounded like a tortured, furious animal, beating at the door with rage and rising panic.

Zelda left the hallway, closing the door behind her and locking it. Now, all was silent. Even the guard's cries had been blocked in. Before her, the grim looking, old hallways did not greet her. She took the servants' old stairwell, a part of the building that no one had ventured in for ages, if she judged from the broken windows, cold air and silence, and while it seemed like the most frightening place in the world, she preferred it to any bad encounters.

"… And the man danced… Dance, dance, dance, the man…" She shakily sang, on the border of speech and whisper, a childhood song ricocheting on the dull walls of a dark, empty stairwell as she cautiously made her way down, feeling every instant as though a shadow wanted to grab her from behind.

A rat scurried by her feet, and she had to swallow back a surprised scream, even as lightning illuminated the walls, casting frightening shadows in the corners.

She was down in no time, running until she was breathless, her heart in her throat, and stumbled out into the rainy courtyard, where instantly she was drenched. It was like a dream. The humid, cold air filled her lungs and the vaporous, grey tinged world had never seemed so vast.

She hurried by the outer guard tower, inside which the Gerudo were too busy trying to keep warm by the fire to hear her pattering footsteps. The gate had long been broken and never repaired. No one had been foolhardy enough to challenge the great lord Ganondorf.

It was with sudden fear that Zelda turned around to look at her age old castle. It looked eerie and quiet and ominous. It was no longer her home.

Zelda did not bother to be happy with the fact that Ganondorf hadn't planned on her escape and enforced the protection. Pushing herself down the desolate streets, she disappeared into the world.

* * *

_Present…_

It was early evening. The sun was low on the horizon, colouring the sky with a light pink hue to slowly cover the light blue. Delicious smells of cooked meat and vegetable soup wafted through the air, embalming the woods, which glowed with a soft gold. The three men sat, enjoying a glass of homemade berry wine before supper.

Mikau chugged some down, then slamming the mug on the wooden table of the outdoor kitchen with neither anger nor frustration, but he seemed still a bit annoyed. He stared at Link as the young man held his mug with two hands, dazed.

"What you're saying is… this woman knows ya, and ya know 'er?"

"Mikau, be nice to her. She's… well, important back home."

Mikau snorted.

"Oh, now home is out there, huh?"

Darmani hit Mikau with enough strength to make him topple over.

"Let him be."

"Hmph."

Darmani turned to Link and sighed, a long, loud sound. He motioned to the cottage, inviting Link to check on their guest. Link stood, weakly smiling. He was still a bit shocked that she'd appear so suddenly.

He'd brought in the cottage a tub of water for her to cleanse in, with soap root to wash the grime out of her hair, and had told her to take some of his clothes for change.

While she bathed, no one was allowed in, and Link made sure to knock on the front door before coming in. She was nowhere in sight, and the water in the tub had cooled down. Sunlight came through the windows almost horizontally. He knew Mikau and Darmani, on the side of the Shack, couldn't see inside, and thus hadn't bothered closing the shutters. He risked a look up the stairs.

"Um, may I come up?" He carefully asked.

He got his answer when she leaned over the railing to look down at him, her dark gold hair in wet tendrils around her face. She was smiling.

And the shirt she'd borrowed gaped in a very interesting way. To Link's relief—and minor disappointment—, it did not last too long. She motioned for him to come up, and he complied.

"I found a small shirt. I would bet it was one of your old ones. There is no way you would still fit in it. It is still fairly large, but I don't think bodices are common in a man's house. Unless they aren't his," she added with a grin that made him catch his breath.

He smiled. "Women don't usually drop by, if that can answer your suspicions."

She raised a brow. "Ah. Well, I suppose there must be a first time to everything, am I wrong?"

"I suppose you're not. It's true you're the first woman to sleep in my bed." He shot her a roguish grin, and her eyes widened.

"Link!"

Her heart beat faster, and her cheeks became red.

When had Link . . . How could it be that the little boy, the cheerful apprentice, had turned to such a handsome, engaging young man? And who smelled so good on top of it?

She had to calm her breathing. She took in her surroundings, the sturdy bed, with rough woollen covers that had been softened from use—let's not get into that!—, the custom built cupboard, with unfinished carvings on the doors, the polished floors, where he'd most likely walked in nothing but a pair of sleeping trousers—

She preferred to stop thinking.

When Link spoke again, she jumped, flustered. She smiled weakly at him, though he wasn't looking at her anymore, choosing to keep his eyes on the floorboards.

"Uh, we'll be having dinner soon…" He muttered.

Zelda smiled.

"Thank you."

Finally, Link looked up again. He had to double take, and refrain from reddening. He had done an effort not to examine her in too great detail—just in case—but it was stronger than him.

Princess Zelda had grown to become a beautiful young woman. Her hair had become a dark blonde colour, and her eyes had gained depth. As for her body, well, she'd gained curves..._That_, he'd determined. His trousers fit her well, but her slightly larger hips were a bit tighter in them, and thus were covered in a… very nice way. His clean shirt, to replace her ragged bodice, had a collar line that plunged much lower than he'd thought. He wouldn't complain, of course. The clothes, overall, were a bit larger than what would have best fit her, but they suited her well. Very well.

She was barefoot, but he knew he'd find a solution soon enough.

A clean, fresh scent came from her now that she was clean, and it was with the nice mix of the forest onto her skin coming to his nose that Link outstretched his arm. She gracefully took it and smiled.

On a common accord, they'd chosen not to get into deep conversations on the way the outside world was going.

That's how they perceived it. The outside world was out there, and they were here, safe, in their little world where all was right.

* * *

Mikau was grumbling under his breath and Darmani yawned, looking at Link and Zelda lying under the stars, out in the large grass field. They were side-by-side, from what Darmani could see, but otherwise, the tall grass hid them from view. 

Mikau's inaudible muttering made him turn to look at him. In the lantern's light, Mikau's look was glum.

"What?" Darmani roughly asked, taking a long swig of his stronger homemade drinks.

"Look at 'em," Mikau mumbled, cheek pressed against his fist, connecting elbow on the wooden table. Darmani's head turned back so he could glance at the two childhood friends, then back at Mikau.

"What?" He repeated.

"It's so damned obvious what's going on," Mikau grumbled in annoyance.

"What're you talking 'bout?" Darmani asked, finding Mikau's depressed look unnerving.

"Think'f it," Mikau said, finally taking his eyes off the form of the two young people lying almost out of eyesight and definitely out of earshot, "it's obvious. A guy, a girl. You do the thinking."

"There's a sign and a heart missing," Darmani commented, taking another swill.

"Y'know what I'm meaning," Mikau said. "Nothing's ever gonna be th'same. They'll fall in love, if it ain't already done."

"Surprising you'd still believe in love," Darmani muttered. Mikau shot him an evil eyed glare.

"Mind your own goddamn business. Just because I've been living in the woods with a veteran and a kid doesn't mean I don't remember what love's like."

He sighed and looked back at the place where Link and Zelda were supposed to be lying, but now that darkness had fallen, he couldn't discern them anymore. "And that's love."

Darmani said nothing, listening to the crickets surrounding them. A few bugs came to their lantern, but he didn't chase them away.

"I knew som'day," Mikau went on, "som'day the kid would leave us and follow some girl around."

"She looks a good one."

"Yeah, that might be all she's got," Mikau mumbled.

"Stop fussin'," Darmani gruffly ordered, "you're messin' with my nerves."

Mikau said nothing, then raised his mug in the invisible couple's direction, then bringing the rim to his lips. Darmani quietly imitated him.

* * *

Zelda felt Link radiating warmth beside her. They carefully weren't touching. Both their gazes were turned up towards the vast dark heavens, where a myriad of small diamonds winked down at them. 

She felt a fresh breeze caress her, and it took with it all her troubles far, far away. She felt the grass tickling her cheeks, and her hair was splayed on the ground and she was at peace.

The stars were beautiful tonight. She'd never had the occasion to notice before. She said so out loud. Link turned to look at her, before gazing back at the stars, frowning.

"Why not?" He asked, and she smiled weakly.

"Light didn't often come to me like it is right now."

"It's pretty dark out," he said.

She shook her head in the grass, and he glanced at her. "No," she said, "No, it's the brightest night that ever was."

He said nothing.

"Link?"

"Yes?"

"You must have been happy out here, in the woods, free of worries. Did you see the outside world?"

He hesitated before answering. "I don't think I should."

She paused before asking, "Why didn't you come back if you were alive all this time?"

Link chose not to answer.

"Link, please."

Hearing her beg softly made him turn to look at her, and finally say, "I put it behind me, where it belongs."

"I belong behind you then?"

He sat up quickly and looked down at her as she lay in the grass, looking at him accusingly. "No! No, you don't! … Zelda, you never left my thoughts!"

"And you mine," she whispered, reaching up to touch the front of his shirt, barely brushing it with the tip of her fingers. She didn't notice him go still. "My closest friend. Link. I missed you."

He tried not to look too earnest. "I missed you too, Zelda."

And the Goddesses knew how much. They knew how she haunted his dreams, his every waking moment.

And his life, now.

He took her hand in his gently, and smiled at her, almost mischievously.

"Zelda, I want you to see something."

She frowned in curiosity. "See what?"

"Something," he simply cryptically repeated, brushing himself off as he stood. His eyes turned to where Mikau and Darmani sat, but they'd disappeared into the Shack.

"It's getting late, are you sure—" She started but her hushed her with a finger against her lips. It wasn't the symbolic that stopped her, but rather the concept that his finger touched her and that the simple touch made fire radiate from her lips to the rest of her body. He didn't seem aware of this, however. His intentions seemed to lie elsewhere.

"Follow me," he whispered, though there was no one but the night to overhear them. Under the starlight, he reached for her hand and gently pulled her behind him. She felt like ten year-old Zelda tagging along with twelve year-old Link on one of their knight and princess adventures. Her eyes welled with tears.

Having been with him only a few hours, she already felt that if he left she'd die again. He'd always held a great part of her heart, and now his simple hold on her hand gave her the impression she'd stumble without him to guide her like he used to.

She was nothing without him. As though he knew it, he was being kind, slow, understanding and actually held her hand as he did now to show her the way.

They walked in the dark woods for a few minutes, before Link turned around suddenly, blocking her view ahead.

"Close your eyes," he ordered. She complied slowly, but her eyelids forced the water out of her eyes, making tears slide down her cheek and shine in the pale moonlight. Link frowned worriedly.

"You're crying," he whispered, reaching out to wipe the tears. "Zelda? Are you alright?"

His concern only made her tear more, but a wobbly smile also appeared on her face. Her voice was shaky, a breath, because she knew any words louder than a whisper would be uncontrollable, "I'm happier than I've been in so long, Link."

He blinked, wondering how it was possible to cry and be happy, but she seemed so sincerely happy that he ended up smiling as well.

"Well then, close your eyes again."

This time, she complied, and a genuine smile brightened her face. To make sure she didn't peek, Link came up behind her and put his hands to cover her eyes. Slowly, he made her move forward.

Before them was a pond, a small waterfall that shone in the bright moonlight it caught. The water itself looked like liquid silver in the night. The trees made a high leafy dome over the pool.

All around them, a thousand fireflies hovered silently, slowly gliding over the air. Their soft light reflected in the water as they slid against its surface.

Zelda's skin glowed with a pale light, and her hair was highlighted in white gold. He removed his hands from her eyes, stepped away and took a brief second to admire her in the moonlight before saying, "Open your eyes."

She slowly obeyed, and immediately, her eyes widened like a child in front of something wondrous. More tears slipped down her cheeks and her lower lip, having fallen as she'd gasped, was trembling. She brought a pale hand to her face. Her other hand slowly came up to try to grasp, weakly, a firefly that passed by, but it escaped through her widely spread fingers. Without a word, she turned to look at him.

"Well?" He breathed questioningly.

"It's…" She didn't finish her sentence, trying to catch her breath. She turned her wet eyes to the small bright waterfall.

"This water is warm," he said, eyes fixed on her.

Her gaze came back to rest on him. And her lips stretched into a thin, teary smile.

"Show me."

Outstretching his hand, accepting her offer, he waited for her to slip her smaller white hand into his dark one. Their fingers intertwined together, he guided her to the edge of the pool, eyes boring in hers.

"One step at a time…" He told her, jumping into the knee high water and looking up at his princess, waiting for her to come down.

She did, holding onto his arms and letting him lower her to his level. She could feel his skin rippling under her fingers. The water seeped through her borrowed trousers, coming to her knees, and the sand at the bottom of the pool slipped between her toes pleasantly.

With barely a heave, Link hoisted her up again, not once losing her gaze, and brought her to the middle of the pond, where the moonlit water came to his waist. She could see that his clothes were soaking up, but he apparently didn't notice.

Looking down at him, she smiled, nodding her authorization for him to let her into the water as well.

"Heal me."

He smiled softly, letting her slowly into the water so she could get used to the feeling. When finally she was touching the bottom of the pool, he loosened his hold on her, but did not relent it completely.

They stood there, unsure for the first time. Fireflies glowed all around them.

His hand came to touch her face finally.

And they knew.

Her last coherent words to him that night.

"Love me, Link."

He complied. Ever at her service.

* * *

**You didn't think that was bad? Heh. Wait til the next chapter.**

**AND NO, THERE WILL BE NO LEMON. Geez, people.**

**Though if it amuses you, you can write a supplement lemon and send it to my email address. It's sure to amuse me, too. X) Zelink 4 Eva.**

**Reviews, anyone?**

**Love,**

**CM**


	6. Conflict

**NA Updates: Still working on part 7, but it's still a end-of-week deadline for me. You should get it by then.**

**Anyway. You think all is well, and then this chapter comes up. Heh.**

**Yet again…**

**Warning: **Sexual themes. THIS IS NOT A JOKE. Much.

**Hylian Kings**

**By CM**

**Sixth Chapter: Conflict**

Mikau yawned, walking out of his room. He came face to face with Darmani. The large man blocked his way, and Mikau paused, unsure.

"Uh, Darmani?"

"You were damned right," he said. "But I was too."

Mikau blinked, still half-asleep. "Huh?"

Darmani stepped out of the way, motioning for him to check outside to the place Link had supposedly installed to sleep at while Zelda occupied his bedroom.

Sleep left Mikau's eyes as they widened. His jaw fell, and he turned to Darmani, who was smiling.

"I'll be damned," he breathed. Then, smugly, "Told you it was love."

"But she's no scum. I told you so. C'mon, we'll walk out back. Wouldn't want to bother the little lovers, would we?"

Mikau grinned, glancing a last time at the two sleeping young people cuddled together under Link's covers.

"I'll be damned," he repeated, smiling, shaking his head and walking to the other door, into the fresh, clear morning.

* * *

A shiver ran up Link's arm, and he wanted to bring it back under the covers, where it was warmer. He realized he couldn't move it freely. Something was weighing it down. He peered one eye open, and saw Zelda's head resting on it, blonde hair soft to his skin.

Her chest rose and fell peacefully, and his breath caught. Memories from the night before came back to him.

_He kissed her, taking her up again and carrying her to the small rocky cliff where she sat, clear moonlit water falling beside them…_

She stirred, brow furrowed, before relaxing again, turning over to cuddle closer to him. He could move his arm to embrace her now.

_She let out a hot breath into his neck as he took her earlobe between his teeth._

A tiny smile pulled at her lips as she took in the scent of his skin. Link let her put her head in the crook of his neck.

_She moaned his name as he moved…_

Her slim, bare shoulder was at the mercy of the morning chill. He covered it with his warm hand.

_Her breath was ragged as they lay side-by-side, chests heaving. She rolled over to gaze into his darkened eyes._

"_That… was…" She gasped. "… Perfect."_

Her lips moved, a inaudible whisper brushing his collarbone. He stilled, listening intently.

"_Did I hurt you?"_

"_No," she smiled, "you were wonderful."_

_He smiled, closing his eyes and regulating his breathing. He felt her prop herself up next to him and plant a soft kiss onto his lips. His hand blindly came up to hold her down to him. He deepened the kiss. He could feel her smile against him._

"Link…"

He peered down at her as she said his name. Her eyes slowly opened, a very light blue. Immediately, they warmed at the sight of him. Her voice was a mumble as she greeted him.

"Hello…"

"Good morning, Zelda," he responded smoothly.

_He carried her to his temporary bedding as crickets chirped around them. Her tongue lapped at the tender skin in his neck, making it a very difficult challenge to not just drop her right then and there and make love to her all over again. A giggle rumbled in her throat as he desperately threw their clothes to the side and pressed his lips to hers._

"How are you?" She mumbled, a soft smile on her lips as she rubbed her eyes. He shrugged a bit.

"I think I've awoken to more unpleasant things," he teased, kissing her temple. She scowled, pushing his bare side.

"That's not very nice."

He pressed her to him with one arm, the other winding around her waist. He pulled her over him, so she lay on her stomach, right on top of him. Her hair fell all around her face, like a dark golden aura. Her lips looked delicious from under there. Link tasted them softly.

"You know," he said against her lips, "I didn't think my name could be said the way you said it last night." He was teasing her again.

She heated up, her face a bright red. She sat up the best she could, glaring playfully down at him.

"You didn't hear yourself. If I hadn't been there to remind you of your name, you'd probably have forgotten it."

"I know," he mumbled with a light chuckle, trailing a few kisses over her arm, which was just within reach. She shivered. "I'm grateful," he pulled away from her skin to look up into her eyes. She was still sprawled over him. His gaze was serious, honest.

She smiled softly, planting a kiss on the tip of his nose. "I am too, Link."

He didn't respond to it, but his eyes were warm. She brought her forehead to his, and they stayed silent a long moment. Then, daring finally to bring the subject up, she asked, "Why didn't you come back?"

"Why would I?" He evasively answered, immediately trying to distract her by turning her over and covering her himself. "I'm here. You're here. That's all that matters."

She must have heard his voice tremble a bit, or perhaps perceived the tenseness in his shoulders, because she pulled his face away from her collarbone, and, holding him firmly out of reach of any part of her person, she seriously looked up at him. "What matters to me, Link, is that my people are out there dying, and I'm here, you're right, with you, and we made love all night while children died outside."

Link didn't answer, trying to keep his face carefully put together.

"Did you think of them last night?" He finally asked, soft, not letting his worry show. She averted her eyes.

"Well, no." She breathed, and he thought he heard guilt laced in her tone. "But now that I think about it… Yet that's not the point, Link. I won't deny it. You were wonderful last night. But until my people are safe from him again, I won't be able to love the afterglow."

He frowned. "Safe from whom?"

She looked at him curiously. "Ganondorf, of course. Whom did you think?"

He gawked at her, rolling off of her and tumbling beside her, looking up at the blue sky. "How is that—?"

"Possible? Link, were you there seven years ago? I suppose you were. What did you think happened?"

Link shook his head in disbelief. She propped herself up to gaze into his incredulous face. He looked at her, eyes a sea of confusion. "But he saved my life seven years ago."

He had to remember not to mention Darunia's death. Zelda frowned.

"Link, Ganondorf is a tyrant. I don't know what his motives were, but you cannot possibly believe that he is kind hearted." She took a breath. "I saw him kill my father in cold blood before my very eyes. He slaughtered every other court member but myself." Tears poured over her cheeks. "I had to close my eyes to keep from seeing the blood and broken corpses. He let me to tremble in a corner of the great hall. And Darunia came in. I didn't even look. I heard him die, Link. Where were you when Ganondorf told that Gerudo to kill Darunia?"

Link said nothing, eyes looking into emptiness. His heart ached painfully, to his shock. He thought he'd put it behind him…

'_Go, no one will want a boy so incapable! Run before you get killed! I'll avenge him!'_

"He…"

"Link," Zelda breathed, trying to control her tears. "He locked me up for a whole night in a dreary cell, then had me moved to my chambers. And I came out for real for the first time in seven years a few nights ago. To find you."

'_Go, no one will want a boy so incapable!'_

"No, Zelda, he saved me!" He cried as he sat up. Zelda stared at him, bewildered.

"What?" She breathed. "Link, you must be wrong. He wanted to wait until I was old enough, then marry me. He wants to become the legitimate king of Hyrule! And you say he spared you? You must be out of your mind!"

Link shot her a cold look. "Ganondorf avenged Darunia."

She stared at him wide-eyed, incredulous. "You _are_ out of your mind! Link, the one who killed Darunia is Nabooru of the Gerudo! She is his right hand! And believe me, she lives still."

"He said he'd avenge Darunia when he told me to go!"

"You were there!"

Link's previously talkative mood went into mute remorse. Zelda sharply examined him.

"You _were_ there," she repeated. He grabbed his trousers beside him and slipped them on, under the covers, hurriedly, angrily. She flung herself over him, trying to keep him from moving, trying to pin him accusingly.

He pushed her off without kindness.

Falling backwards, she gazed at him, hurt. Finally, Link slipped out from under the covers, and she brought them up to her chin with one hand, running her other one through her hair in panicky annoyance.

"You were there, and you didn't even try to find me! You ran from everything you supposedly held dear! You are a coward!"

'_No one will want a boy so incapable!'_

He was already standing, and he bent over to grab his shirt, throwing her a furious glare.

"I am not! Just because I had enough sense to run before he got to me doesn't mean I'm a coward! At least I'm not a fool, like _you _! I didn't stick around all that time to see my land wither away!"

"Coward!" She spat, tears running freely over her cheeks. "You're a coward!"

"Quiet, you idiot!" He snapped back.

Both fell silent. Then, with a huff and an angrily muttered 'Fine,' Zelda turned over, covered her head with the covers and said nothing else.

Link saw her shudder. He heard a faint sob. She was crying. He felt ill, dizzy, and his heart felt as though it had been shredded with a dull knife. He wanted nothing more but run back to her, tell her how much he loved her, how much he was sorry, how much he wanted to help her, how much he wanted to redeem himself, to prove her he wasn't scum.

But he couldn't.

Because he had put the past behind him, where it deserved to be.

He turned on his heel and ran as far as he could.

* * *

Ganondorf was furious. He stabbed his knife over and over again into the creaking surface of the table, at the mercy of Nabooru's sceptical eye. Her eyebrow was merely raised, incensing him even more.

"Damn to the depths of the Dark Realm the day I let that little imbecile of a princess live!"

Nabooru said nothing, leaning back unemotionally. She could see Koume and Kotake, the twin old hags, cowering into a corner silently.

Ganondorf stood suddenly, grabbing the edge of the table and turning it over in ire, sending a platter of dried fruits flying. Koume and Kotake tried to get a hand on a few, but Ganondorf stepped on their fickle paws. As for Nabooru, she simply flicked a dried raisin off her lap, crossing her long shapely legs and staring at Ganondorf without a hint of interest as he paced to and fro.

He finally whirled to look at her. "You are certain she left, woman?"

"If she isn't in her quarters," Nabooru blandly droned, "then she left."

He snarled, returning to his furious pacing. A big tanned hand fisted into the air as he stopped in front of the old hags. He wasn't staring at them. He was staring through them.

"How did she manage to escape?" He sharply turned his head towards Nabooru again. "And where does she think she can escape to?"

Nabooru shrugged. "Since we haven't found her as of yet, then I'm assuming she found a proper hiding place."

"What part of Hyrule could she turn to for safe guarding?" Ganondorf wondered, teeth gritting together. Nabooru had the nerve to laugh.

"Hyrule is vast. She could be anywhere."

"Perhaps," Kotake, the horrid little hag dressed in a navy blue attire, contrasting with her sister Koume's blood red rags, "I can send out some of my little spies to find this princess, and then you can get her back."

Nabooru raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Ganondorf's angry face changed to an anticipating smirk.

"Yes, Koume—" He started, but Kotake interrupted him.

"She's Koume," she said, indicating her red-adorned sister. "I'm Kotake."

Ganondorf looked annoyed at the interruption. "Whatever. Kotake. I'll ask you to do so immediately. You might get some food if you do that." He turned back to Nabooru, who schooled her expression once again into mute boredom, "To keep the little half-wit bound next time," he announced, "I'll have her shackled by matrimony. You'll bother getting her some sort of dress. I wouldn't want to ruin the fool's marriage to the King."

"I doubt any sort of dress would make a woman happy to wed you, Ganon," Nabooru dared comment. Ganondorf shot her a nasty glare, but she smirked at him and stood. "I'll get to it. With the lack of resources you've put the country into, it may be a while before some sort of dress can be found unsoiled."

Nabooru strided outside unhurriedly, leaving Kotake and Koume to devise their spying plan. Ganondorf remained with them.

However, instead of actually leaving the castle, Nabooru stayed just outside the hall windows, in the garden. She sat against the wall, closing her eyes. She waited.

After a long hum of conversation from within, she heard one of the hags come towards the window. Not moving, she waited until the pane swung open. Three sickly white bees flew out, buzzing away. The pane closed again. Nabooru looked at the hags' spies and smirked.

Throwing one of her sharp knives, she hit one albino insect smack in the side, pinning it to a nearby door. Its pale juices didn't even trickle much.

The other two alarmed, she waited for one to attack her. With a simple wave, she knocked it sideways, sending it flying into the shallow gully, where it got caught in the mud.

The last one was smarter. It tried flying out of her reach, but with an annoyed roll of her eyes, Nabooru took off one of her boots and slammed it on the creature. There wasn't a sound emitted as life fled the carcass.

Without so much as a second glance, she slipped her boot back on, grabbed her knife from the door, wiped it clean, then walked out of the courtyard, intent on finding a white dress for Ganondorf's supposed bride-to-be.

If anything, Princess Zelda owed her one.

* * *

**Reviews!**

**Love,**

**CM**


	7. Two Opposite Ways

**This central chapter is also the longest. Deal with it. XD**

**Warning: Violence.**

**Hylian Kings**

**By CM**

**Seventh Chapter: Two Opposite Ways**

"Oi, Princess," Mikau called as she came back from the woods, carrying a few medicinal herbs. She intended to soothe Darmani's headache, and wanted to make tea as well. Mikau stopped her as she blankly stared him through. "Have ya seen Link? The kid ain't no where I can see."

Zelda didn't even blanch. She simply smiled softly, answering, "I haven't spoken with him since this morning. I am no more aware of his whereabouts as you are. I apologize."

With that, she calmly walked off, leaving a perplexed Mikau in her wake. The young man turned around to watch her go, blinking. He ran after her eventually, coming to pace at her side as she carefully made her way to the summer kitchen, placing her pouch on the rough table. "But," he began, and she gazed at him out of the corner of her eye, still working on picking out small rocks and bad leaves from her chosen herbs, "I thought you spent the night with him," at that he reddened a bit, but she didn't blink even slightly.

"I did," Zelda admitted, and Mikau averted his eyes, studying his fingers on the table surface, "but after we woke up, I went to eat and he vanished from sight." Her tone was polite but distant and cold, "I am not his sitter."

"Never said you was," Mikau quickly said. "I just thought since ya were so… close, … then maybe ya would have known."

She smiled, and he could discern bitterness in her face. "Mikau, you know him more than I do. You lived with him all those years… Taught him everything he knows…"

Mikau said nothing, noticing her ripping a leaf away with more force than needed. She turned her face towards him.

"There is no way I can be knowledgeable of his habits after only a day."

Suddenly, he saw a flash of pain and a tinge of accusation in her soft blue eyes. Silently averting his eyes, frown turning to a scowl, he muttered, "Is there something wrong, Princess, b'tween the two of us? Ya look angry with me."

Taken aback, she returned her attention to her work. "N-No, I…"

"I'm not too pleased either," Mikau said with shocking honesty, "that the kid should be reminded of a past we taught 'im to forget."

She was about to speak, but decided against it. She was stubbornly setting her jaw. Mikau took a step closer, staring at her down turned, busy profile. Intensely, he said in a low, but not threatening voice, "When the kid came, he was in the same state as ya were. Physically busted, 'motionally scarred by something we dun' know of—but _ya_ seem to know—and he was just a _kid_."

He took in a calm breath as she gave no indication of having heard him.

"We chose to take the kid under our wing. We chose to help 'im get over himself. And then, just as things seemed to be settling, _ya come into the picture_."

Zelda tensed, her shoulders stiff.

"Ain't no trouble wi' that," Mikau said with a careless shrug, "I ain't got nothing 'gainst _ya_, lass. But the kid's old 'nside. I dun' know what ya were thinking of making him do, but he ain't in a state where he can go anywhere. I'm like his brother, ya see? And Darmani's like his uncle. An' we're worried for the kid's sake, got it?"

Zelda looked up at him. He saw her eyes watery with tears. Still, he spoke.

"I dun' want 'im to get hurt, ya know. I get the whole idea. You're the _Princess_, ya got a duty to your country, lass. But Link ain't got nothing he owes anyone. He lost half his happiness when he left ya, and he ain't leavin' no one no more. Not me, not Darmani. We're his fam'ly now, got that?"

She nodded. Finally, Mikau put a soothing hand to her shoulder, and said, "We'll give ya shelter, lass, but ya can't expect no more from us. We're _done_ with the world."

"Who _are_ you?" She asked suddenly, a curious frown on her face. Mikau froze, choosing to avoid her penetrating, lost gaze.

"I'm no one now," he said.

"Why did you isolate yourself from the rest of the world? Why?"

Mikau stopped fidgeting. He looked up to Zelda, and, sighing finally, he motioned for her to be quiet. Busying himself with the herbs, he started speaking in a level tone.

"This ain't som'thing the kid or Darmani know. We have a policy, ya see. Ya don't ask, ya don't tell, and all is well. But I guess ya'll understand better if I tell ya a bit."

He took a deep breath.

"I was young back then. Maybe a bit older than the kid. It was a long way from here. Far, far away. The land was living a golden age, I s'pose.

"Back then, we had a large hall on a pinnacle in the ocean. It was glorious, clear, and waterfalls kept it always fresh. My people were fishermen, trades people, and they had a love for music. I tell ya, there wasn't no one there who didn't know how to play an instrument.

"I was pretty good at the guitar myself. I had friends, admirers. My life wasn't all that bad."

Mikau's gaze was lost in memories of another time now, and Zelda didn't dare drag him out. A small smile had appeared on the man's face.

"There was one girl. Her name was Lulu. She had the sweetest voice ya ever heard. Her instrument was her song, and her eyes caught ya and kept ya 'til she was done her music, and ya weren't gettin' away 'til she was done for good. She was a beautiful lass. Kind-hearted, and a woman prettier than her ya can't imagine."

He chuckled a bit, plucking leaves from the pack of plants.

"I loved the girl. I wasn't 'lone. Every young guy my age had eyes and ears only for Lulu. But she and I… We had a special som'thing. She would come to listen to me playin', and sometimes she'd add her voice and ya ain't heard no song so pretty.

"One day…" Mikau breathed, "We made love."

Zelda's eyes flew up to Mikau's. His had turned to melancholy, and his voice was softer than she'd ever heard him.

"No sooner than the next week, I'd asked her to marry me. And she said yes. Of all the people in the hall, I was happiest.

His eyes filled with a happiness long gone.

"We wanted to be wed as soon as possible. Lulu had told me she was with me child."

Mikau stopped chopping the herbs, staring into the emptiness. Now, he looked truly pained.

"I never wed her."

His voice wasn't as soft now. It was hoarse, raw with pain.

"A few days before our wedding, pirates attacked our hall. It was in the dead of the night. They killed ev'ry infant, raped ev'ry woman, slaughtered ev'ry man. I was runnin' through the hall, tryin' to find Lulu, when I heard 'er scream in agony. I made my way to her room.

"I found 'er in a puddle of 'er own blood. Her stomach had been torn. She was cryin', layin' on the floor, unable to move.

"I ran to her, cradled 'er head, sobbed for her to stay with me. She was cryin', cryin' that our child was gone, dead, that she wanted to die. I couldn't reason with 'er. I wanted to save 'er, soothe 'er, ease her sufferance. I—"

At this point, Mikau's voice had cracked, and he brought a hand up to his eyes, rubbing them, though Zelda knew he was hiding his pain, his tears. With a calming breath, he continued his story.

"I wanted to keep 'er with me. I loved 'er. I know it's selfish. I just—I wanted a secon' chance. I wanted to help 'er, to take 'er away from her pain."

He choked on the next words.

"But she died—d in m-my arms a-and…"

Mikau bent over, hitting a fist on the table and hiding his face in the crook of his arm, his other arm bent, brought up to hide the side of his face. His hand was limply hanging from there over his nape. His shoulders shook.

"I wanted her to live!" The cry echoed in the clearing. Silence became deafening.

His voice was so raw with regret and pain that Zelda put a hand to his back, forcing him to cry on her shoulder. Her own tears had long since overflowed, and in silence she tried soothing the man, so hurt was he that he didn't realize he was crying on the shoulder of a person he didn't agree of.

After a long pain-filled moment, he looked up, wiping his eyes clear. Averting his eyes from her in mild shame, he continued his story weakly.

"I couldn't stand it. I had to escape. Most of my friends had died, my love was gone and my parents'd been slaughtered. I wanted to forget everything.

"So I ran. For days on end I ran. I travelled in swamps, scaled mountains, travelled deep rivers, fought my way through thick forests… And came 'ere. By then, I was so exhausted, I couldn't even stand.

"But I was lucky. Darmani found me and took me in. We chose to keep together and hold out until we died and were allow'd to find our lov'd ones 'gain."

Zelda looked appalled, and she had to wipe new tears.

"You're here because you're waiting to die!"

Mikau shrugged, seeming to lighten up a bit, though now she knew how much of a façade it was.

"After what we've been through, it ain't nothin' big."

"What did Darmani go through?" She questioned, dismayed.

Mikau shrugged, shaking his head.

"Our policy is to not ask 'ny questions. But if ya ask me, I think it has to do with the war he was a soldier at. He's old enough to have lost a whole fam'ly 'imself."

Zelda finally asked, after a long silence, "And you took Link in because…?"

"The kid didn't tell us why he'd escaped his former life. Why don't ya tell me?"

Surprised, Zelda looked down at the pile of herbs sitting on the table.

"I'm not sure. I only learned a bit this very morning. But," she suddenly declared, "you shouldn't have taught him to lock his past up. No matter what you say…"

A cold look from Mikau made her quiet. The man grabbed a knife and started cutting the herbs. "When the world turns its back on you," he muttered, "you turn your back on the world, lass. You had a rough past yourself. You should forget about it."

"I can't!" Zelda cried. "My past is the only anchor I have! Even Link is a part of my past! _And_ my present! I have a realm! I have to go back eventually! My past," she breathed, bringing her face very close to Mikau's, in anger, "is what made me who I am. To try to forget it would be to say I have no pride in whom I am. No pride in what I've lived! No pride in those I loved!… _I wouldn't forget it for the world_."

With those words, she shooed him away, grabbing the knife and continuing her work. Mikau stepped away, stunned.

And suddenly, he realized where everything had gone wrong.

* * *

"_Coward_," Link grumbled, kicking a rock out of his way angrily. He looked behind him at the woods, as though Zelda was standing there and he was still in an argument with her. "I'm not the coward, you are! You—You ran away too!"

Quickening his pace, he stumbled up to where he usually spent his sunlit afternoons. Thick, dark clouds hung over him, and he had the impression he could touch their black vapour with his hand. They seemed gorged with rain.

In the distance, he heard a faint rumble that shook everything around him very faintly.

A storm was brewing inside of him as well.

He didn't lie down this time. He stood, facing where the wind came from and felt the thick humidity building up in the fresh, static air. The trees looked a bright green under the grey. He felt cold then.

He told himself it was the wind. Told himself that it had nothing to do with the great emptiness inside.

Was he bound to lose every one of those he loved?

Suddenly, he wanted to scream. To let go of the sanity that held him down. He wanted to race to the edge of the cliff and jump off just to see how it felt. To feel…

Alive again.

But he didn't.

Inside, a voice was begging to be heard. He allowed it to speak. What it said, through his lips, through his throat, through his heart…

"I thought… I thought everything would be alright… But then…" His eyes prickled. "But then… _she_ came, and now… Darunia! _Darunia_!"

He walked to the edge of the cliff, screaming at the top of his lungs the name of his former mentor.

"DARUNIA! SAVE ME! HELP ME! DARUNIA!" His voice cracked, and he heard his echo faintly in the vast area over the trees.

"I thought I'd be okay, Darunia!"

When no one answered, he fell to the ground, on his knees, and buried his face in his hands, broken before his time.

"I thought… I thought I'd be okay… Why was I wrong? Why?"

He looked up as a flash of light brightened the vast horizon. From his high place, he could see the forest below and the clouds overheard and he heard the thunder echo towards him. Nothing was rushed. All was silent.

His knees hurt, but not as much as his chest.

"Why… I always… Was it because you told me never to leave my sword on the battlefield, Darunia? Was it because Mikau and Darmani told me to put the past behind me? Why do both ways make sense, yet both hurt me, Darunia?"

Link rubbed his forehead, trying not to let the tears flow. He was aching inside.

"Am I a coward?" He asked to the black clouds on the horizon. "Or am I sensible?"

"Every second spent hurting is a second lost in your life."

Link nearly jumped out of his skin. He swore he'd heard those words before. He swore…

"Mister Darunia?"

Whirling around, he nearly jumped again. He thought the person who had spoken was a good distance behind him, but he came face to face with him.

It wasn't Darunia. Far from it.

The young man was sitting cross-legged right behind him. Link carefully moved away.

"Who are you?"

The stranger chuckled, brushing thick blonde hair out of his red eyes.

"I'm Sheik. And you are?"

Link began stammering. Thunder clapped overhead. "_What?_ B-But you're—you're the one who quoted Darunia—if you know him—_don't you know me already?_"

Sheik's previously closed eyelids opened again, piercing Link with their red gaze. "Ah, so you _are_ worthy of my time. Allegedly, you can't align words, but at least you can think for yourself."

"I _can_ align words!" Link exclaimed. "What are you doing here and what do you want with me?"

Sheik looked amused. "Two questions that would have been so easily summarized in one."

"Just answer them," Link muttered, unexplainably annoyed with this stranger.

Sheik rolled over, standing without a sign of effort. He walked towards the clear waterfall that ran near as it thundered down the steep cliff. He took a long sip. Then, wiping his mouth, he turned to Link. Clouds were massing over them, and the distinctive scent of rain was smelled.

"I am here to speak with you."

"About what?" Link growled without patience. He didn't know why, this Sheik person thoroughly irritated him, though he wasn't feeling threatened.

"Hm, anything, everything. You need someone to talk to. And I am that someone."

"I don't need anyone," Link scowled. "You can go back to wherever you came from. Why should I share my worries with someone I don't know?"

"Ah, but you know me," Sheik smiled, apparently uncaring whether he got to Link or not with that wise grin. "Or rather, I know him!"

"Who's 'him'?" Link questioned, peeved as Sheik came to sit beside him.

"Darunia Goroni, of course. Now, what torments you?"

Link tried hard to hide his curiosity. He covered it with a grimace of exasperation.

"You didn't know him. I was his only apprentice. And he didn't deal with children other than me and Zel—the Princess."

"Speaking of whom, did you know she was very hurt by your actions of this morning?"

Link whirled towards Sheik. "What the—What would you know about what we spoke of this morning?"

Sheik shrugged. "The whole forest heard you, my young friend. And it was obvious on her face. She was crying, you know."

"Crying?" Link almost looked remorseful at the memory, but then he hid his face from Sheik and hardened his eyes. She'd… She'd brought it onto herself…

Right.

"Yes, crying," Sheik lazily commented as lightning streaked the sky. He waited for the thunder to rumble around them before adding, "You should have more respect for her. You don't know what she's been through just to get here."

"And you do?"

"I know everything," Sheik said with a chuckle. Link wasn't sure whether he was joking or not. Still, an immense curiosity inhabited him.

"Fine," he grumbled, eventually choosing to sit down beside Sheik, who was meditating without worry on the tip of the cliff, index and thumb joined in typical prayer on his crossed legs. "I'll listen to you. But just this once."

At once, Sheik's eyes snapped open and he smiled. The wind was blowing stronger now, and Link felt a chill crawl up his arms. He rubbed them with his hands absently. The storm was slowly coming over them, and Link could see small grey curtains of rain sweeping slowly, hazily, on the horizon. Now, all light on the horizon had disappeared. The sky was dark and cloudy and low.

"I can explain _briefly_, or _well_," Sheik said. "You can choose either, but I will end up telling it my way anyhow."

"Then just spill it, why should I care?" Link exasperatedly asked.

"Because she was tortured," Sheik announced in a tone that was much too cheerful for Link's liking. He began to think the man was insane. "The poor girl, she was. Any living soul in Hyrule heard her pain. Her loneliness. Her despair… The poor girl indeed."

Link was going numb because of the cool air, but Sheik's words made his blood run cold too.

"Rumour says the only reason she was kept alive and relatively fed was because the Evil King wanted to wed her someday."

"What!"

"What luck," Sheik continued, still as light, smiling and unconcerned, "that she grew as stubborn and wise as she grew pale and weary. You may be shocked to hear she was locked in her royal chambers for the most part of the past seven years."

Link said nothing, eyes wide. Overhead, thunder and lightning played. He felt one fat, cold drop of rain fall onto the crown of his head.

Sheik, uncaring of the rain that was slowly moving closer, kept speaking.

"Ganondorf has no qualms about mistreating the girl. Her only defence was to lock herself up in her beautiful stone cage. The Evil King has purpose for her. He hopes for a child to be born from her… Once they are wed, of course."

Link whirled around and felt more drops fall wetly against his chilled skin. He glared at Sheik. "Ganondorf saved Darunia's honour."

"_So_ you think," Sheik nodded, still smiling. It unnerved Link to no end that he should not know what the man was thinking. "But Ganondorf is a pitiful man, with hardly as much sense of honour as you do."

"Hey! Watch your tongue, you—"

"Don't be furious with me, Link," Sheik said, standing and walking to the cover of the trees. "I am merely speaking the Princess' mind."

"You lie," Link spat. "Why are you so compelled to lie to me?"

"I lie not. But perhaps you'd like to know exactly what you should do now?"

Yes, Link knew. He wanted to know what to do.

"I don't! Why should I listen to a perfect stranger who lies?"

"Ah, ah, now, you're being rude. Perhaps I should have come on another day?"

Link closed his fist tightly. If the man kept annoying him, he'd feel wonderful to swing it right in his face.

"You have strength, just like him," Sheik suddenly said, out of nowhere. He seemed to contemplate Link's face and eyes. "You are just like your father and just like Darunia."

"You knew my father? How did you know Darunia?"

"Two men of great valour," Sheik said with a solemn nod. His faint smile still hadn't disappeared. "They had as much worth to me as two brothers. Wise, kind and courageous men they were. I see in your eyes the same light I saw in them."

Link almost fell for it. Suddenly, he shook his head.

"You lie. You're my age. You wouldn't know them."

"I wouldn't," Sheik repeated without tone. "If you say so. Though I can still offer some advice. You seem to be at loss."

Rain starting falling heavily onto them. It hammered on the ground, making splashes in the small river, hitting the leaves full force. Thunder rolled over them, grumbling in their gut, shaking them to the core. Link's pulse beat in his temples.

"I am not."

"How did you feel, when Darunia told you to run if you had to, on the day he told you to hide as he fought?"

Link, tired of trying to guess how this man had known, simply answered, running a hand through his thick dark blonde hair, "I thought it was unfair. I wanted to fight too. I wanted to show I was good enough. But then he… He died."

"Do you know why he died?"

Link turned towards Sheik and glared. Then, raising his voice to cover that of Mother Farore, he yelled, "_It was my fault!_"

A long silence, cut only by the sound of heavy rain, stretched between the two young men.

"Was it?" Sheik finally asked, apparently unfazed. "I recall that you held to his word. Where did you go wrong?"

"I went wrong when I couldn't save him in time," Link spat bitterly. "I went wrong when I didn't run to his aid after I came out from behind that table."

"Like Ganondorf told you to do."

Link froze, then turned to Sheik and said, "What are you speaking? Are you saying I'd have obeyed to Ganondorf rather than Darunia?" Accusation was thick in his voice.

"If I recall well," Sheik calmly said, unbothered by Link's glare, "Ganondorf kicked the table away, then held his sword to your face and _told_ you to fight."

"Your point is?" Link angrily asked, confusion lacing his voice, ignoring the fact that he still didn't understand how Sheik could have known what had occurred, how he could have been there when Link had been sure he was alone, feeling water seep into his clothes, making them heavy and uncomfortable.

"You had no choice but to disobey Darunia, and the reason he died is because he got so scared for the life of his apprentice. But it was… _Ganondorf_'s kick. He is, unless I remember wrongly, the one who distracted Darunia by threatening your life."

Link said nothing. Suddenly, he turned to Sheik, and the glare he wore faded into complete misery.

The heavens wept. Lightning streaked the sky, thunder trembled around them.

No other word was spoken on Link's part.

Sheik brought a hand to Link's shoulder, facing him, and said, his smile disappearing into strong solemnity, "You know now what you must do." He took a few steps back, leaving Link in the rain, and said, over the storm, "I trust we will meet again, Link, royal consort."

Link's eyes flew up, but Sheik had disappeared.

He never had felt so drained…

Yet…

He felt so light.

* * *

**To clear this up, what I mean by 'two different ways' is either: "**don't leave your sword on the battlefield**", a way supported by Darunia and Zelda, and/or "**if it doesn't work out, try elsewhere**," a way supported by Darmani and Mikau. While I believe both ways have their merits, this story is going to, of course, move more towards the former. Or else, we'd lose the plotline.**

As for Sheik's strange knowledge and age, **you'll figure it out in the next chapter.**

**Review?**

**Love,**

**CM**


	8. Retrieving the Sword

**You're lucky! No warning!**

**Yay!**

**Hylian Kings**

**By CM**

**Eighth Chapter: Retrieving the Sword**

Zelda had fallen into silence. She'd made her decision. She'd go back home the next day. She wouldn't hinder Link and Mikau and Darmani any longer.

She'd… go home and find a way to not get caught again.

She shivered as cold wind entered through the window. It was pouring heavily outside, and Mikau and Darmani were quietly sitting by a big fireplace, one of them carving something and the other contemplating the flames.

Link hadn't come home.

It was late, it was raining, where was he? She hugged a blanket close. She was bitter at Link's attitude, but wasn't heartless enough to let him die of cold once he came back… if he came back. She'd go back home once he wasin safely. She'd make sure he was truly happy here, and then she'd go.

Pain filled her gut, coming to her throat.

She'd go back to a Hyrule infested with cruelty, a world ruled by an Evil King, back to hunger and bony children and dirt and weakness. She'd go back to a place that didn't feel right, or like a home should.

It ached.

A thump outside the door made all the Shack's occupants look up. Mikau and Darmani had obviously been awaiting Link as worriedly as she had. What Mikau had said had been true. They really did worry for him. Zelda wasn't the only person around anymore.

It hurt.

Mikau went for the door, Zelda close on his heels. She was ready to give Link the warm blanket.

As the door swung open, they saw that it wasn't Link standing on the wet front step. Drenched from head to toe, a young man with piercing red eyes smiled at them.

"Ah, how long it's been since I saw a warm household," he said.

Mikau immediately grew wary. "Who're you?" He bluntly asked. "Where's the kid?"

Sheik, because it was he, chuckled. "Oh, a long way from here now. Why, it's been raining two hours. What did you think?"

Mikau squinted, not grasping Sheik's words. It really didn't make coherent sense.

Zelda was the first to move aside. Sheik gingerly moved to come inside, only to be blocked by the imposing Darmani.

"You'll tell us where the boy went, or you won't make it out with all your limbs."

Sheik didn't seem fazed in the least. Instead, he stood in the rain, completely soaked, and grinned. "You shouldn't wait too long. He won't be coming home for supper."

Zelda's eyes widened behind Mikau and Darmani's backs. Protective both of the princess and their home, they shot the stranger sceptical glances.

Sheik seemed to notice Zelda, then. He smiled slowly, bowing low.

"Highness," he acknowledged. "How long… How long since I last saw you."

"I'm afraid," she said, "that I do not know you."

He smiled, shaking his head. "Yes, yes. I believe that. Fear not, however," he said, backing off only lightly as Darmani and Mikau reached for their respective knives, "I am not here on behalf of anyone but yourself."

She blinked from behind Darmani's large shoulder. "I beg your pardon?"

He gazed at her a long time, unbothered by the heavy downpour. "You've addressed a prayer to the Goddesses, am I wrong? More precisely," he added at her sharp intake of breath, "to the Goddess of Wisdom, Nayru."

She brought a hand to her mouth as Sheik bowed again.

"I make myself a messenger of the Goddesses. And in answer to your prayers, those prayers you haven't spoken but which walk along the Godly paths, I am here to make your hopes true. My name is Sheik. At your service."

"Tell me then," she breathed as Darmani and Mikau slowly, warily moved aside, "messenger Sheik, where has Link gone? Is he… Is he…"

"Dead?" Sheik chuckled. "No. Far from it. I do believe I've never seen him so alive. But search for him not."

"Why not?" Zelda asked, angry that her voice should waver then.

Sheik stepped back. He looked up at the low, cloudy, weeping heavens and sighed. He looked back at Zelda with a heartfelt smile.

"Link, son of Raven, apprentice of Darunia Goroni, has made a decision which will undoubtedly affect you all." With a last smile, Sheik said, "He went back to pick up his forgotten sword."

Before Zelda could speak her shock and disbelief, Sheik vanished before their eyes in a flash of blinding light.

A long, very long moment passed between the three people, and suddenly, Mikau started laughing.

Glancing at him worriedly, Darmani eventually began chuckling, his laughter a low rumble.

"I'll be," Mikau cackled, hilarious, "I'll be," he gasped. "The kid did what he wanted to after all!"

Zelda's eyes were tearing. Her heart felt cramped in her chest. It had swollen with gratitude, and now, she was sobbing. Darmani brought a big, rough hand up and put it to her slim shoulder.

"Now, now, Princess," he chuckled, "Don't be so hearty. I'm sure you'd have convinced the kid yourself eventually." He sighed, and Mikau sobered up. "Link's a wise boy. He'd have done the right thing, I think."

Zelda tried speaking, but her jumble of words was incomprehensible. Mikau smiled.

"Get a hold o' yourself, Princess. If we want to catch up with the kid, we have to leave now."

Zelda watched in shock as Mikau and Darmani ran around the house, picking things up, happier than she'd ever seen them. It seemed a flame long extinguished had livened up suddenly at Sheik's word.

And suddenly, she looked back out at the rain and smiled.

_Thank you, Nayru.

* * *

_

The more he moved, the more the land became grey and dry. The more the trees seemed dead, the more the grass crackled under his feet. The more he moved, the more the mountains in the distance looked dark and foreboding, when in fact they had seemed majestic from his perch back home.

But where was 'home', really? For the longest time, he'd thought it was in the forest, and now he was off to free a land that was his other 'home'?

It was tiresome, but he had to. Ever since Sheik had left him to think, it seemed the only possible way to live free of sorrow was to go back. It was either risking his life then having peace, or feeling ill-at-ease every time he woke up from a memory.

Yet, the more he moved, and the more he came to understand that things simply could not stay the way they were.

His breath was ragged, and he had to stop. He gazed up at the grey sky. It was still foggy and humid from the previous rain. The breeze was cold and wet. He was grateful for the fog, though. It would cover him until he was close enough to Hyrule Castle to make a proper estimation of what needed to be done. In fact, the closer he came to the plain before the gates, the thicker the fog became.

Link paused and sat behind a monticule of rocks to catch his breath. He eyes sought the familiar Hylian Gates, the well-known ramparts surrounding Hyrule Castle Town.

Yet, through the thick fog, he could discern none. He thought he saw a flicker of a torch, but it was unique and it seemed more like embers rather than an actual flame.

What had happened to the glorious fortress of Hyrule? What had happened to the large, impressive drawbridge he always loved to cross, or sit on the side of to catch some fish from the river, that gentle river which doubled as a moat?

He looked over the fog, trying to discern the double towers that supported the drawbridge and the gate.

His earlier fear that the glory of Hyrule's defence had been destroyed proved wrong. Severely damaged, from what he could see over the plumes of fog, the gate was still intact.

Though he wasn't at ease having to pass under it.

He turned back and leaned against the rocks again. He had to think. He'd run into this adventure with no preparation whatsoever. He needed a weapon, and he hadn't even bothered to take one.

No matter. He supposed he could steal that from the enemy.

Linkknew the layout of the castle and town well, but it was a matter of knowing where to search first.

What was he seeking here? He wanted to kill Ganondorf. That was for sure. He wanted to get rid of those Gerudos from the West. He simplyhad to know how to do it, though he would seek no ally, however. He wouldn't risk it.

Hesaw a dead tree to his side. With hesitation, he finally chose to break a branch. He gripped it with both hands, holding it in first stance, trying to remember all those things Darunia had taught him before he died. It seemed so very far away now.

He began a motion to swing it, stopped, then brought it back to where it was before. The next hit he tried was a full swing, trying to see how far his arm reached.

He tried again, trying to familiarize himself with those movements he used to know all too well. It felt different, perhaps because of his adult size and strength. In any case, he had to know just how strong he was. Lifting various objects back in the forest couldn't tell him whether a hit would strike with enough force to kill.

The thought sent a shiver up his spine. Kill.

He hadn't ever wielded a weapon with that thought before.

Darunia. What had he said about this? 'The instinct for survival is often equalled to the lust for blood, but they must never mingle, because that is when one's hands are tainted and when one loses his sanity.'

Link thought. Was the urge to kill Ganondorf bloodlust or a simple play of defence? Where did vengeance come into Darunia's teachings? Had he ever mentioned it before?

He had. Once.

'Link, you must never seek vengeance. In due time, the Goddesses will send punishment to the perpetrator of these acts. You must never allow anger to take over.'

No anger? How, Darunia, could he not feel anger?

He shook his head clear of these thoughts, turning his attention back to the thick branch he held. He glanced at the rocks and mentally calculated, theoretically, how much strength would be needed to break his makeshift practice sword on the stone.

Positioning himself, he focused. He had to put all his strength into this hit, and he had to see if he could perhaps splinter his weapon somewhat.

He had to know how strong he was.

In his arms, his muscles tightened, and his fingers flexed around the end of the branch, anticipating its recoil.

With one single, large swing, he slammed it onto the rocks. He was surprised at how his body moved in time, as though he had been doing this since forever. Perhaps he hadn't lost it all, in the end.

He heard a loud crack, and when his momentum slowed enough for him to regain immobile balance, he saw that he had not only broken his weapon. He had burst it cleanly. The other end was lying in the long grass a few lengths away.

It took him a moment to realise how strong he had become in the past seven years. Pride and relief warmed him up in the chilly field.

But now he had to find another weapon.

He was about to start searching again when the sound of heavy, running footsteps made him pause. He looked around, searching blindly in the fog for the source of these sounds.

It seemed like more than one person was running, but he wasn't sure.

Then, he heard hushed voices. There were three, two of which were arguing.

"This," the male said, "is what we're fighting for?"

Breathless, a familiar female voice answered, frustrated, "This is… my… home… So don't be rude."

Then, the third voice, a low, growling one, cut off their bickering and said, "Enough. We have to find the boy now, so don't go killin' each other."

Link hurried in their direction, and soon enough, found the three most heart-warming people in the world.

"Mikau, Zelda, Darmani," he breathed, voice hoarse and low, "what are you doing here?"

Whirling around, Mikau exclaimed, "Link! Well, fancy meetin' ya here, eh?"

Link vividly motioned for him to quiet down, and turned to Zelda, who, unlike Darmani, hadn't muttered a welcome.

They stared at each other, awkward. Finally, she looked away and started walking towards the huge Hylian Gate.

Link watched her go, feeling himself crumble. Darmani's heavy hand on his shoulder made him feel like he was sinking into the ground.

"What must I do…?" He whispered desperately to the fog.

* * *

**Review! I command you!**

**Love,**

**CM**


	9. Spying Eye

**ABOUT NA: I'm working on Chap 8 as we speak. I'm already over halfway through. I think it'll be my next update, so keep hanging onto the cliff.**

**About this: I don't know. This chapter is a bit gross, but it's not a warning I'm giving you. It's just a personal opinion. You probably won't think so. Whatever. But I don't know what to think of this chapter. It creeps me out.**

**Hylian Kings**

**By CM**

**Ninth Chapter: Spying Eye**

"I think," Ganondorf growled as he paced back and forth between Koume, Kotake and Nabooru, "that your little spying device failed."

He was speaking to the two hags, who were slowly beginning to cower in his shadow. Nabooru, on her part, stood straight but lazily. She could see a white dress splayed on the table, its pure clarity contrasting with the dark hall and the grey sky outside the high windows.

Even the coloured stained glass seemed lifeless. The white of the fabric was the only clarity she could see, the only purity in this tainted place, and it was so bright to the eyes that she had to avert them.

She turned her attention back to the other three. Ganondorf was now silent, still pacing. He appeared in contemplation. She feared to know what was on his sick mind.

Finally, he spoke up again. "I can't trust you two to get her back. We will send out the armies. We can't afford to have her plan a revolution."

"A revolution?" Nabooru scoffed. "With what army? She's so fearful of you she probably won't ever want to come back."

It was a daring move, to mock him, but he ignored her. His golden eyes were alight with slight insanity and a complete assurance that she would indeed try to take over.

"Have everyone ready to tear down the whole country if need be, Nabooru. I want her back."

Nabooru refrained the urge to cringe at the perverse look in those evil eyes. He seemed to be thinking immoral thoughts, ones that did not seem safe for the bearer of that white dress.

"I will, Ganon," she muttered, leaving the room.

As soon as she was out, she stopped, thinking she felt a strange wind blowing in from the windows, through the halls. She saw the female guards by the door look around worriedly, shivering.

She looked at one of them.

"Am I wrong," she asked, "or is this what our foremothers called…?"

"The wind of change," the other woman breathed, eyes wide.

Nabooru said nothing, gaze fixed on the two young women. The Gerudo knew many things about winds. They had been living in the desert, where winds blew stronger than any other place in Hyrule, and it was why they could recognise the different winds. "The wind of change," Nabooru sighed, feeling relief and sadness seep through her. "It has been so long since we last felt it, hasn't it?"

"Nabooru," the guard whispered, "Why are you so sad? Change is needed now. We have been starving again. The lands produce no more. At his command, we ruined more land than necessary."

"Our reign is ending," Nabooru said, looking surprisingly peaceful. She paused, closing her eyes and feeling the soft breeze on her face.

"The wind comes from the east." She turned to gaze at the two underlings who were fidgeting uncomfortably. "Change is good, but not for all." Remembering what she was out in the hall for, she added. "Ask Aveil to prepare for a woman hunt. Ganon will not rest until he sees Princess Zelda again."

"Why call her princess?" One of the women asked. "He is the king, she is no longer in power."

"She always was. Now go call Aveil." Nabooru was still calm.

"You're on her side," the woman spat. "Are you a traitor?"

"The only traitor here is Ganondorf, but you may become one if you disobey me."

Falling into silence, she nodded and ran down the hall. Nabooru rubbed her eyes, her gloved hand coming before her face. She gazed at it in silence, then came to a decision.

"Tell Ganon," she told the other guard, "that I will participate in the search personally as well." She took a breath as the guards left. "Far too long, I've waited. For nothing."

She had other plans. Ones that didn't include finding the princess.

A memory had haunted her in the long silence of the night. After seven long years, the princess had become a beautiful maiden.

What of the boy? The boy whose master she'd killed seven years ago on that fateful day? The boy whom Ganondorf let go? He had too much spirit in his eyes to be dead. He would have grown to become a young man now.

Hadn't Ganondorf omitted one thing? The rumour of a consort's existence?

She had to head east. Whether it was to find the princess or to find the boy, she'd head east.

* * *

Zelda gazed at her castle's ruins, wondering what she could possibly do to reverse things.

She was well aware of how she'd cut Link, how she had been cold despite his choice to come back. The fact was that no matter how courageous he was, he still had chosen to refute the past. He hadn't made any particular effort to apologize either in the past hour.

He most likely didn't care.

Zelda was all too aware of the pain that sliced through her heart. She knew what had gone wrong.

A few days alone had been enough for her to fall head over heels in love with him. It was most inappropriate, especially the way they had gone about… expressing themselves… yet, she felt it was something she had always known.

Behind her, walking in the shadows, the trio of friends followed in revered silence.

It seemed a deadly quiet hung over Hyrule Castle. The only sound she could hear was that of the wind blowing through the empty gate. But she feared entering through there. How the glory of her home had faded! As soon as it was back within her control, she would restore its former beauty. Starting with that gate.

"Pretty depressing, eh?" Mikau said conversationally, looking at the foggy plain, the ruined city and the dried vegetation hanging from the windows. She could hear him faintly, speaking to Darmani, as though they were taking a stroll in the park.

"Even the Shack was better up kept. We should drop in to tell that Ganondorf man how to manage."

"I think," she heard Link comment dryly, "that if we do drop by, he'll have to manage us first."

Mikau snickered. "Darn right. Whaddyou say we stop by for a cup of salt?"

"Heartily approved," Darmani agreed. "I'll put these knives to good use. They won't know what hit them."

"The knives or the guards?"

"Ssshh!" Zelda hissed, and as they quieted down, they heard what she had. Footsteps on the dry grass. Ducking behind the boulder Link had practiced on, they waited. Zelda's heart was in her throat. What if they found her and brought her back?

After a few seconds, the footsteps stopped. They waited anxiously. Then, a woman's deep and confident voice rose. "I know you're somewhere there."

"Nabooru…" Zelda breathed so softly that only Link heard her. He gazed at her hesitantly, then looked back out at the fog.

They heard a rustle and then another silence. "I'm sitting here. I don't know where you are, but I know you're near. You'll have to come out, whether to kill me or speak to me. Until then…" They could hear the woman take a deep breath, "I will tell you a few things."

Link moved, as if to reveal himself and act, but Zelda put a hand on his arm and shook her head, eyes wide and alert. Unaware, Nabooru's voice continued.

"If Ganondorf finds Princess Zelda, he will force her to wed him. I don't believe that he will stay patient. This silent desolation around us may become hell fire in his hunt. Time is counted."

There was a long silence. No one budged. Nabooru went on. "I have stopped search parties from exiting the city's surroundings as long as I could, but Ganondorf grows wary. If you do not intend on acting soon, then leave without looking back, as there is no middle to the options." A meditating pause cut her words before she added, "Unless the rumours of a consort still living are true."

Link tensed. Zelda glanced at him, eyes conveying disgusted horror, but he smiled tightly and shook his head slowly, avoiding her eyes. She now knew about the consort. And the idea revolted her. She would hate the man unfortunate enough to become consort. Him. She'd hate him.

Link felt sick.

"The city's main entrance is heavily guarded, but there is another way into the walls. The grid in the moat that circles the castle inside was broken some time ago. By circling the walls to the west side, one can easily swim through and under the walls. The waterway will lead at the foot of the fortress wall. Beyond that, the guard shift changes. This drawbridge is too exposed. I suggest you try your way through the guardhouse moat."

Nabooru seemed to stretch and stand. Link could vaguely see her form in the fog.

"It seems you chose not to speak," she said. "Very well. I'll be on my way then. I wish you luck, Princess."

With that, there was a rustle, then nothing more. She was gone in the fog, out of view and hearing.

"Well," Mikau concluded after a silence, "do we trust the woman or do we skirmish?"

"I don't know how or why, but I think Nabooru can be trusted," Zelda whispered.

* * *

Ganondorf shivered as the breeze caressed his tanned skin. He hated the feel of this wind. While unsure of its significance, he still knew it was of no reassuring type.

"Ganon," one of the witches scratchily cooed, "Kotake and I have found something fascinating."

Waving impatiently, Ganon didn't bother straightening up in his throne. Koume came forward, bent over in semi-respect.

"It seems that the boy chosen long ago to be Zelda's consort still lives."

"Or so our mirror says," Kotake cackled, slowly stirring the contents of a steaming marmite.

Ganon, only mildly interested, shrugged. "I couldn't care less. The boy must have been too young to understand, and when we took over, he fled. He probably doesn't remember today."

"Do you want to see him?" Koume insisted, motioning excitedly to the pot. "There is more to it than you may think."

Ganondorf, restless because of the wind that came in through the windows, stood and walked over. He peered over the rim and blinked away the fumes.

The image became clearer and clearer.

* * *

Zelda shivered, feeling something ominous in the air. She motioned to the men to hide. They obeyed uncertainly.

* * *

"I see nothing," Ganon growled. "There was a spot of colour, but then it disappeared."

Kotake looked inside the mirror, frowning. "Your gaze might have alerted them."

* * *

"What is it?" Link whispered worriedly, gazing in disgust at the murky waters that they would soon be swimming in. A little ways upstream, the breach in the wall was dark and grimy. He was not excited at the idea of entering the city through there.

Zelda shook her head. "I don't know. I just had the feeling that we were being watched."

Mikau and Darmani, absorbed in their contemplation of the moat waters, seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Link. Suddenly, Darmani declared, "We should attract their attention elsewhere. What do you say Mikau and I become their target practice?"

Mikau nodded, eyes darting sideways constantly towards the disgusting moat. "Yeah, that'd be a wise decision."

Link sighed, looking at Zelda. She took a deep breath.

"When you reach the gates, enter and make as much noise and trouble as possible. Can we trust you to remain alive?"

" 'Course," Mikau shrugged. "Watch us."

"Besides," Darmani said, visibly relieved, "I wouldn't have fit into that moat exit."

* * *

Ganondorf, angry, knocked the marmite off the fire, sending its contents dribbling on the stone floor. Tiny, light greyish pink, fleshy, squishy bits of gods-knew-what wound up at his feet, sliding on the thick liquid. Ganondorf scrunched his nose as the smell. The fumes came from all over now. Parting the thin smoke just enough to glare at the twin witches, who were cowering in the corner beside the fireplace, the king of thieves growled, "Get out of my sight!"

Nearly running over each other in their attempt to get out of the throne room, Koume and Kotake screamed in panic, even as Ganon followed them and slammed the doors boomingly the second they passed the threshold.

* * *

**Lalalala… Sorry for the numerous cuts.**

**Love,**

**CM**


	10. Emerging

**Okay. I correct myself. THIS chapter is the creepiest to me. It just embodies everything I'd most freak out about in real life.**

**But whatever.**

**No warnings.**

**Hylian Kings**

**By CM**

**Tenth Chapter: Emerging**

Link, holding his satchel above his head as he and Zelda waded through the low tunnels, water reaching their armpits, wanted to retch. The stench was fouler than anything he'd ever smelled, surpassing that of decaying corpses. Not even in his worst nightmares had he imagined something so terrible.

Zelda, doing her best to follow him, looked ready to cry from sheer desperation. The tunnels turned and twisted, as though they had no end. No end to this hell of rot and fumes and murky water. Her foot had one too many times slipped on the floor invisible below the water surface, and her arms were tiring. Her pack was scraping the filthy ceilings and stone arcs.

Link did his best to avoid inhaling too often. He'd heard of people who'd died from fumes like these, and he wanted to delay that as long as possible. He had the feeling Zelda felt the same.

He turned a corner, and, to his despair, another long stretch of tunnel, pierced with more drain holes on the ceiling, came into view. It had been this way for the past two hours.

He was beginning to lose faith in finding any possible exit.

"How vast is Hyrule Castle town?" He asked, his voice weakly bouncing off the ceiling and water surface.

"Quite," Zelda answered, and Link was positive his knees almost gave in with desperation.

"How are we to find our way out? We don't know how to go back," he said. He knew saying something so depressing was tactless, but at that given moment, Zelda had the right to know everything.

Zelda exhaled sharply, almost losing balance, but regained it quickly and said, voice dulled by the small space, "There must be some place we can go to rest safely."

Link turned the corner, and a light in one of the forks made him gasp, then cough on the disgusting smell.

"A light!" He exclaimed once he'd stopped choking, "A light, Zelda! We've made it!"

Urged on by this revelation, the two young people hurried the best they could in high waters towards the light source. Link could practically feel the clean air as they neared it.

Zelda, too, was feeling relieved. She'd never dealt with such filth before.

Suddenly, Link stopped. Zelda squinted in exhaustion at his back.

"What?" She asked him, and Link turned back, shuddering, allowing her a better view of their light source.

A grate.

A big exit, with huge, solid, iron bars pinned so close together that an adult could not pass.

Beyond, a clean air, the moat was in open skies, with run-down houses closely overhanging the canal.

But the grid in their way was unbreakable. She saw Link, in shock, arms still holding his satchel high, widen his eyes in desperation.

"No," he breathed, "no. No. No!"

A loud clank and a splash of water indicated her that Link had kicked the iron bars. To no avail.

"No!" He cried, "No! NO!"

She saw him touch his dirt streaked forehead to the metal grate in hopelessness, and say, brokenly, "By Din, to come so far and stop so close!"

"It's alright, Link," she tremblingly said, ready to break down herself, "All will be well… We can find another exit."

But she knew it was no use. They wouldn't find another way out. They didn't have the energy or will left to try.

"Zelda," he'd lowered his satchel so it was high on his shoulder. "Princess… I'm so, so sorry… I… I didn't…"

He broke into shocked, tearless sobs. He seemed delirious with despair. Zelda came as close as she could to him, and put her dirty forehead to his shoulder, trying to soothe him without dropping their bags.

"Please, Link, don't do this," she breathed softly, "please, Link, don't give in."

"I didn't want to kill you…" He said. "I didn't! I—I wanted you to be… h-happy and—By Nayru, Zelda, I'm so sorry!"

"Link, it's not your fault, please, stop. I wouldn't have been able to do any better."

"I said such awful things to you," he breathed. "Things I didn't mean."

"It's alright."

Link's eyes were tearing, and he was gasping for air. He was stunned, she knew.

"I wanted to make you happy… I wanted you to forgive me…"

"It's alright, Link."

"And look where I've led you!"

"Link— … please…"

"I don't—"

"Quiet!" Zelda suddenly ordered, in a very different tone, looking out beyond the grate. Link turned as well, and he saw what she meant.

Two men, strolling down the streets, singing loudly, breaking crates and jugs. Whenever guards came too close, the men gave them a severe hit in the torso, knocking them out and allowing the two comrades to continue their promenade.

"Do you think we can count on them?" Zelda asked as the loud duo came closer. Link, slowly growing more alert, nodded at her.

* * *

Mikau and Darmani, on their part, were on the other side of town, making quite a racket themselves. The majority of the city's guards had gathered to try and neutralize them, but Mikau's speed and Darmani's strength were tough to outdo.

"How much more time do ya think we have to hold out?" Mikau asked, hurriedly slamming his elbow into a guard's face. He turned to look at Darmani, who was holding two limp bodies up, having obviously hit their heads together powerfully.

"Aw, Darmani!" Mikau whined, exasperated, "I thought we said we ain't gonna kill no one!"

"I didn't kill 'em," Darmani growled, dropping the two guards like potato sacks, "I just made 'em stop moving."

Mikau rolled his eyes, then turned to look up the run down street at the castle. It was ominous looking, and he hoped they wouldn't have to assault it later on.

"Ya think Link and Z—his lady have made it out alright?"

"Considering their shambled relation before we left 'em, I'd say it'd be a miracle if they haven't killed each other by now."

Mikau scowled. "They ain't gonna kill each other. They're in love. How many more guards do ya think—oh, for blessed Din."

More guards were running in from the side streets, and Mikau had to cut off mid-sentence to slam his fist into a few stomachs.

When they had a relative calm again, he said, "What I meant was, should we try to free the way towards the castle or something?"

Darmani shrugged his broad shoulders. "Let's just move forward and see how many more they've got for us. And if we can, we'll hide out in a tavern or somethin'."

* * *

Kafei and Keaton, drunk out of their minds, had seated themselves on the side of the canal, and were conversing with the two young people stuck behind the grate, amused to no end, not of their misfortune, but of their gut.

Zelda and Link, after explaining their situation for the second time, begged them to help them break free.

Keaton nudged Kafei, and the dark haired young man saw a few guards approaching.

In time, the two brothers bent over and pretended to retch. Disguted, the guards avoided coming too close, and hurried away from their area. This way, they hadn't seen Link or Zelda.

Once they were gone, the two young men sat up, and continued discussing the situation with Zelda, who had decided, after Link got angered from the first tale-telling, to be the spokesperson of their team.

"Lemme get thish shtraight," Keaton said, eyes open for any more guards, "you're out to… to overcome…—no, shubdue…—no, overthrow Ganondorf—the Evil King?"

"Yes," Zelda patiently said, holding onto the metal bars. Link was holding all their packs and was hardly paying attention. He looked exasperated.

"But you… got stuck in… the sewers," Kafei said. If he wasn't less drunk, he was slightly more intelligible. "And you… want us to help… you out, otherwise you… won't be able to… over—over—overthrow Ganon."

"Are we shure thish ish what we want helping us, Kafei?" Keaton said, teasing, rocking to and fro uncertainly.

"Two is better than… No—nothing at all," Kafei said with a smile, and it became obvious that while the two brothers were wasted, they were genuinely good.

At least, so Zelda hoped.

"We'll help you," Kafei finally said, getting up falteringly, his arms waved about for a moment as he regained his balance, then he looked around, squinting, forcing his mind to do more than it was capable of doing at that very moment.

He saw the cart. He saw the ox. He saw the rope. It was all his mind was able to conjure up for now.

He grabbed the rope, gave one end to Keaton, who looked bewildered, then threw the other end to Zelda. She tied it to the metal grate very happily. Even Link had perked up.

Then, Kafei tied it to the ox's collar, and motioned to Keaton.

Together, the two brothers started pulling on the rope and urging the ox onward.

Zelda heard the metal groan, but nothing budged.

Until suddenly, Link nudged her shoulder, and she saw, at the side of them, the stone beginning to crack. The fissure crawled for a moment, then stopped.

And then, a formidable screech was heard, and the metal bars on the side were dislodged. Thanks to the efforts of both men and the ox, they stayed gaping long enough for Zelda and Link to hurry past them. Zelda ripped her sleeve on one of the ends, but they made it out.

As soon as they stopped pulling, the metal creaked again and slammed like a death trap onto the stone, back into place.

It was hardly even twisted or bent.

Zelda felt Link shudder, both of them relieved to be free at last. The water here wasn't much clearer, and Zelda wanted out of it very quick.

They hurried up the steep steps on the side of the canal, sitting on the side where Kafei and Keaton joined them.

"You bloody hell stink!" Keaton commented. He was obviously the least mannered of the two. Link shot him a tired glare, but Zelda didn't bother at all. Instead, she was looking at Kafei.

"Is there a place where we can have a change of clothes and a bath? Things haven't been going as quick as we expected and—"

"Say no more," Kafei held up a hand. "We'll have you taken care of. The only worthwhile place in town is the tavern. You can take a room if you want, but it'll cost you."

Zelda frowned. Kafei shrugged.

"Or, you can go to the castle. It's the only other place here that's well kept."

Sighing, she nodded.

"Then, the tavern it is." She looked at Link, who was gazing at nothing, but still listening. He turned to look at her. He smelled of sewer, and his clothes and skin and hair were dirty.

She knew she must have been a fright as well.

They were definitely stopping for a cleansing before moving on.

If only she could warn Darmani and Mikau of the change of plans… If only they could get a meeting spot.

"Something on your mind?" Kafei asked, slurring only a bit. His eyelids were drooping.

"Two friends of ours were supposed to make a diversion."

Keaton and Kafei's eyebrows rose in time. Then, grinning, Keaton said, "You mean thoshe two looshe-shcrews we shaw on the shquare were your friendsh?"

"That might be them," Link tiredly mumbled.

Zelda, more diplomatic, turned to the two men. "Could you tell them to meet us at the tavern?"

Kafei, about to acquiesce, was stopped by Keaton. "How do we know you two aren't crayshy like them?"

Zelda sighed loudly. She looked at Link apologetically. He smirked. She turned to the brothers. "My name is Zelda, princess of Hyrule. And this is Link, my childhood friend."

Stunned, Kafei and Keaton suddenly realized why she was so familiar.

Link averted his eyes, thinking of his true title, the one Zelda didn't know about but probably despised. 'Link, childhood friend... and royal consort.'

* * *

**Bolombolombolom, yeah!**

**Love,**

**CM**


	11. Lessening Time

**Um, hehehe.**

**Warnings: **Sexual themes.** Aren't you getting used to it, though?**

**Oh, and the** beginning **of the fun part, right there.**

**Hylian Kings**

**By CM**

**Eleventh Chapter: Lessening Time**

The tavern, low ceilinged and smoky, nevertheless was a warm and welcome change from the fog and cold of the canals. The smell of meat and wine and hot potatoes was more than Link or Zelda could hope for.

At that moment in time, however, they wished for no more than a change of clothes and rest.

"I'm starving," Link mumbled as he and Zelda passed through the doors, followed by Kafei and Keaton, who quickly excused themselves to search for Darmani and Mikau.

Noticing the leering looks of other patrons sent in her direction, Link motioned for Zelda to remain near him. He made his way between the tables over the bar and counter, where a young woman, short red hair cropped neatly, was wiping the surfaces and mugs.

Anju Stoke, looking up from her work, blinked in surprise at the two drenched and smelly newcomers.

"Hello?" She tentatively welcomed them. "Are you looking for a room?"

Link and Zelda exchanged uncertain looks. Finally, Zelda leaned over the counter, avoiding Link's questioning gaze.

"We'd like to book a two bedded room with a warm meal, and we'd like to have a tub of clear water brought up."

Anju, furrowing a brow, bit her lip. "Ever since King Ganon rationed the water supplies, it comes expensive."

Zelda took out a small pouch of coins and put it onto the counter. Stunned, Anju weighed it.

"Where did you obtain this sort of money?"

"Can I count on you?"

Nodding slowly, still shocked, Anju walked into the back-store to fetch the keys. Link leaned on the counter, staring at Zelda intently.

"That was all the money we had left," he said, concerned. "Are you sure of what you're doing?"

She smiled, touching his arm lightly, before reaching into her sleeve to retrieve a golden rupee. Link sighed, shaking his head. He was too tired to comment.

Anju returned, having regained her senses. She handed Link the key, and said, to Zelda, "I sent a kitchen boy to fetch water for you. With that sort of money, we can give you a larger tub."

Smiling tightly, Zelda took Link's hand, to the young man's shock. They made for the stairs at the back of the tavern, and climbed, realizing at last exactly how much had happened since they'd left the forest.

Once they were out of sight, Zelda turned to glance at Link, unsure. He furrowed a brow and waited for her to talk.

"I'm…" She started, hesitantly. "I'm sorry for anything I might have said. It was wrong on my part to call you a coward, and…" She looked down at her feet, speaking barely above a whisper now, voice hoarse. "And I want to thank you, for what you've chosen to do. It means a lot to me. More than you'd imagine." She smiled at him, making his heart thud. "You're wonderful, Link, you're strong and I'm glad to be your friend and have you at my side."

Link, about to speak, was interrupted by the arrival of the kitchen boy, carrying the first two buckets of water. Link jumped back from Zelda, having not realized how close they'd just been. The boy smiled unknowingly at them, entering the room and dumping the water in a large wood tub that he pulled in the middle of the room from where it was against the wall.

Link, suddenly ill-at-ease upon seeing that where were supposed to be two distinct beds was a single large one, placed their packs as neatly as he could near a wall, and offered to help bring up water.

Zelda, having noticed the same thing as Link, turned to the kitchen boy and asked, "I'm sorry. Perhaps there was a misunderstanding. We asked for two beds and—"

"'Tis all we have, ma'am."

Falling silent, Zelda watched a flustered Link walk out with the boy, and she sunk down into a straight backed chair, worried of dirtying their bedding.

While the two were gone, Anju came up, smiling brightly, with a platter of food. It was far from the rich, elegant food of the castle, and it was far less attractive than that of the forest goods, but it was steaming warm and, to her empty stomach, it looked a feast.

When she was left alone again, Zelda walked to the only window in their room. It gave into a back alley, and this satisfied her. They wouldn't be seen for the time being.

Realizing what this could also mean, Zelda reddened, even as the object of her thoughts came in, carrying four buckets of water on a rod, followed by the kitchen boy who seemed awed by Link's strength.

It took two more trips for the tub to be full. When it was, the kitchen boy retreated, happy of the ten rupee tip he'd been awarded, leaving Link and Zelda to their own awkward musings.

Link said, "You go first. I'll eat now. I won't look."

"Are you sure?"

He motioned for her to go on, turning the chair away and beginning to take bites of food. His long ears reddened at the tips, but he resolutely stayed turned away to give her privacy.

In silence, Zelda got rid of her dirty clothing, letting it flop wetly to the floor, and entered the wooden tub with a relieved sigh. She didn't notice Link tense at the sound, too glad to feel dirt slide off her skin was she.

Upon feeling clean again, and satisfied that the water was still clear enough for Link's bath, she looked around.

Only to realize something which made her blood run cold.

She had no extra clothes. In her haste to finally get cleansed, she'd forgotten to get some.

Not one to be put off, she slid out of the tub and padded quickly to the bed, where she took one of the bedspreads, and wrapped it tightly around her lithe body.

"I'm done," she said, finally, and kept her eyes averted from Link as he turned to look at her.

Had she looked up at him then, she'd have seen him go wide-eyed, take her in completely, before closing his eyes as though in prayer, and she'd have seen his Adam's apple bob up and down.

But all she did was, prude, to walk towards the table and sit down on the chair he vacated for her, beginning to eat, shielding her scarlet cheeks from him with her long, wet tendrils of dark blonde hair.

She kept her eyes averted all through Link's bath, enjoying every bite of her meal, and doing her best to readjust the cover inconspicuously around her torso.

Finally, she heard the water splash, and Link moved around the tub, shuffling. She wasn't sure what he was doing, but when he told her he was done, she understood: he'd washed his thick trousers summarily before putting them back on, and cleaned her large shirt for her.

Gratefully, she took the soaked cloth from him and slipped it over herself, only to find that wet fabric had a tendency to stick to her skin.

She knew Link had noticed, but thankfully, he didn't say a word on the subject. He politely piled their plates on the platter and put it by the door.

It was strange, she mused as she watched him move around the room, that they should be so uncomfortable with each other even after having discovered every last part of the other's person.

Stranger still that she wanted to renew the experience.

Furrowing a brow, she watched Link pensively. He turned to look at her.

"Zelda?"

"I was thinking…" She said, and her cheeks reddened again. "But it's nothing. Never mind."

"Which side of the bed do you want?" He seemed as unsure as she was.

"It doesn't matter… Um… I can take the window side…"

"Are you sure? That's the colder side…"

They both lapsed into silence. Then, together, their lips stretched into sheepish smiles.

"We're being ridiculous," Zelda declared.

"We are."

"When things get better…"

"_If_…"

"_When_ things get better," she insisted, "I hope you'll stay by my side." She scowled. "Even when that Din-forsaken consort shows up."

Link, uncomfortable, asked, "But won't your husband be angry if I stay around?"

She snorted. "See if he can control me." Then, her face fell. "Oh, Link, the idea of a consort makes me ill. If only it were but a suitor. At least I could get rid of him. The fact that my dead parents chose the man for me—they must have planned this back in the time when we were together, before Ganondorf took over and killed them! It's sickening! Don't you think?"

"Yes," Link mumbled. "Sickening."

"It's out of principle," she explained, assuming that he agreed with her. "Even if he is a good man. Even if he means well. Even if he turns to be a good politician. Even if he is strong and kind. I want to marry a man of my own choice." She turned to him. "Like you." Her cheeks burned.

Link's head snapped up, and his wide eyes stared at her, stunned.

"You… Me!"

"I'm sorry. That must be strange."

Link's response was to walk over to her. He tilted her head up.

And kissed her square on the lips.

* * *

"I have this feelin'," Mikau mumbled, "like dropping by their room would interrupt somethin'." 

Kafei shrugged. He was slightly more lucid now. Trailing behind, Keaton looked at the large Darmani with awe as the man described his earlier town fights, with force demonstrations and examples.

Leading the way, Anju held a small grease candle, and stopped before one of the many doors of her inn.

"This it?"

She nodded, knocking on the door. Her eyes sought out Kafei's. He smiled.

"Thank you, Anju." He moved to embrace her, but she pushed him away, as though to scold him.

"You drank. Nothing for you."

Disappointed and sheepish, Kafei watched her walk away. Meanwhile, inside the room, there was a loud shuffling, and hushed whispers. Darmani, pressing his ear to the panel, was frowning.

"Link, Zelda, what're you up to?"

There was a long silence, and then, Mikau heard a cuss. Link's voice, no doubt.

"Told ya we'd bother 'em."

The door creaked open, and Zelda's face appeared. The high colour of her skin told Darmani everything. She was clutching a sheet close to herself, otherwise bare. Looking beyond her, he saw Link, running a shaky hand through his hair, covered by the bedspread, though his bare shoulders and chest indicated just what the two had been up to.

And he looked displeased.

"Maybe we should talk tomorrow morning?" Keaton looked highly amused.

"We should," Link said, glaring.

"Alright then, men. Let's leave the two young 'uns to their own devices," Darmani said, unable to keep the huge grin off his features, to Link's annoyance.

"Be sure to get married," Kafei advised them as the door swung shut. "We wouldn't want any illegitimate princes, would we?"

The door closed in time to protect them from a suddenly airborne dried flowers vase.

From inside the room, they could hear Zelda: 'Link, you didn't have to throw that vase. Now we'll have to pay for it.'

'They asked for it.'

Shaking his head, Mikau dragged his old friend back down the stairs, preceded by Kafei and Keaton, who were laughing like madmen.

Reaching the tavern, where people had only barely noticed the commotion, they chose a secluded table, and sat, ordered drinks, and relaxed.

Until the inn doors slammed open, revealing a small group of panicked men. One of them pushed aside a couple of men, climbing onto the table and screaming, to cover the rumble of voices.

"GANONDORF IS ON A RAMPAGE! FIND COVER!"

Chaos broke out. When sudden fear, shouts and panicked yelps, amidstthe commotionand harried escapes, thetwo travellers and two drunk menlooked unsure of what to do.

"Blasted Farore," Mikau said, too light and only a bit annoyed, "can't a man get a decent pause in this bloody town? We don't even have our drinks."

"You didn't understand, mate," one of them exclaimed. "He's bringing everything to the ground! He's lost it! He's burnt down the whole of West Castleton! He's killing all of the citizen! Run while you still can!"

"Methinks that's a serious problem," Darmani observed, still calm.

Around them, men were panicking, running around, trying to break the windows in their hurry to escape. Anju, seeing her tavern destroyed, was at a loss. Kafei moved to protect her from the shards of glass.

"Should we go call the lovers?" Mikau asked, unwilling to go back to Link's wrath.

"No need. They're here." Darmani nodded towards the staircase. Surprised, Mikau turned. Link and Zelda, their clothes still damp from the cursory cleansing, were running down in a hurry. The commotion had obviously called them down from whatever they had been up to. If Mikau didn't now see the truth of the villagers' statements, he would have found the situation laughable.

Out the windows, the glow of the blaze lit the town with an eerie, dancing, hellish light. It danced in Link and Zelda's eyes, even as the two realized the horror of it. They stayed in the now deserted tavern, their shadows projected long on the floor.

Screams in the distance and the thunder of crumbling structures, along with the eardrum splitting cracks of consumed wood reached them. In the distance, the castle, ominous, dark, unforgiving, overlooked the brazier, distorted by the yellow smoke, the way the blacksmith's hammer waited an eternity to strike the molten blade.

The mothers and children rushing down the street past them looked starved, dirty and fearful. The sight, with the horrible plumes of orange tinted smoke in the backdrop, filled Zelda's heart with rage.

"He's looking for someone," Keaton breathed beside them, glancing at Zelda. "He always had. He'll kill all those in his way."

"Keaton," Zelda ordered, calm in appearance, "help the people out of the city. Stop at nothing. Our earlier attempt was useless. This time, Ganondorf is declaring war. Our next move will have no choice but to be a success."

She had been talking to Link, Mikau and Darmani. The three men, stunned by her commanding attitude, suddenly realized that she wasn't just the Princess of Hyrule in name.

"We have to go."

* * *

**Review!**

**Love,**

**CM**


	12. Death Match

**Warning: **Violence and gore.** And **language**. Like, Hylian cusses, I guess.**

**Very **intense** and **short** chapter. I tried to make it very visual, though in a way, I'm sorry for the actual image this presents. I just realized what day it is today. See the Rants in my profile for 9/11, seen from Mtl, Canada.**

**Also, **you're **going to **hate** the first sentence of this chapter.**

**But enjoy how it all culminates despite it all.**

**Hylian Kings**

**By CM**

**Twelfth Chapter: Death Match**

Nabooru was dead.

Koume and Kotake had known of her treachery just minutes after she'd spoken to the four free travellers in the field, and had ensured she would not live to gloat about escaping Ganon's wrath.

Ganondorf, furious, realized his hold on the world was weakening. His most trustworthy servant had been a traitor, his future wife, until then a prisoner of seven years, was still missing, and the people had not provided him with riches or crops as he'd hoped.

His lifelong efforts had been in vain.

Fury raced through his veins, matched only by that of his worst enemy, the Princess Zelda, though this, he did not know. Yet.

His own blade participated in the carnage. Already, he'd murdered violently and bloodily children and poor men. He'd pierced women's pregnant wombs without care. He'd left them to rot or burn, and the smell of tortured flesh and burning, melting fat reached his nostrils, filling him with only a mild satisfaction, and amplifying his need to spill blood, to avenge his ruined life, to retake all he'd lost, to prove to himself that he was still powerful, that he could still take lives and make of them what he pleased.

Ganondorf was hunger for death. He was thirst for blood. He was lust for power.

He was out and killing.

A chill.

Kotake, using her ice, froze the citizen's feet, forcing them to the ground, immobilizing them only enough so that they watched helplessly as Ganondorf's blade rose mercilessly above their heads, chests, stomachs, and just enough that they feel his wrath through their pain.

Searing flames.

Koume, on her part, was spreading fire from high above, throwing intense balls of flames at the houses, consuming everything. Then, when the people tried to escape the brazier, she rained scalding ashes upon them, marking their skin with burns.

None could escape.

He stood, in the middle of the street, an ominous dark figure contrasting with the vivid flames, as though he absorbed all light and returned none. He stood still, blood covering him from head to foot, his large blade dripping with the dark red liquid. It formed fat drops on the edge, dripping in slow motion from the tip.

Like a demon from the darkest of realms, he waited. Waited. He was hungry for more blood, and every running figure was a temptation. Still, he waited.

Waited, gazing around him at the brazier impassively. Waited.

He knew.

And then, from a clearer place in the large circle of destruction, she appeared. She was covered by a smoke and coal stained bed sheet. It protected her from the intense heat, and hooded over her head. He could not see her face. But he knew.

She had come. He had provoked her. And she had come.

He could feel the intense hatred radiating from her, the way heat radiated from the flaming square. To his right, a building collapsed, and a surge of scorching air blew over them. She paused, the protective sheet billowing under the assault, and he could feel, in his raging, pulsing blood, that she had found the burning breath hard to take. He felt a faint wavelet of fear ripple from her, but it was quickly replaced by more anger.

She stood, a long distance from him, immobile in the ever changing décor.

He smirked, and the sweat caused by the intense fire dribbled off his chin, evaporating in mid-air. The heat was so intense. He felt it feeding his hunger.

He raised both his arms, in a mock greeting, and his smirk widened. Across the blazing square, he called, over the roar of the fire, "You have come, Princess! Come closer and let me make you my Queen!"

She did not answer, merely stood and, he felt it, glared at him with raging fury.

It fed him.

"Understand me, Princess! There is nothing you can do! Nothing! You are helpless in this world! Come to me, and let me make you my Queen!"

She did not answer still. His heart raced in a cruel glee.

"It is too late to avenge this land! Realize it and come! You have nothing to hold on to! Come! Be my Dead Queen! The King of Evil's Queen! Come!" He felt a loud laugh rumbling in his chest. "Come!"

Behind him, another building collapsed, and the surge nearly blew her off her feet, all the way across the square. But she held her ground, radiating more and more anger by the second.

"You could have had all this! The power, my Queen! The strength, the riches! The power!"

"I loathe you," she spoke this low and hoarse, but it somehow carried over to his oversensitive ears. He found that her voice had changed in the time she had been away.

"What is loath, Dead Queen, if not food for me? Come! Do you not understand? There is no place for you!" He narrowed his eyes. "Do you wish for this destruction to rage across Hyrule?"

He sensed her hesitation. And took it. He lunged forward, blade ready to plunge deep into her small form, to pierce and rip her apart.

She did not even move, and in the fraction of second it took for him to lunge at her, in a fantastic leap, he finally saw her eyes.

Or rather, _his_ eyes.

'_What are you doing here?'_

The boy threw the sheet aside.

'_Well, you are a coward, aren't you? Go fight those villains, you fool.'_

Ganondorf's eyes widened.

'_You were unable to aid him. He died for you, would you dare throw his sacrifice away?'_

He changed his trajectory violently, avoiding the boy's blade by a narrow breath. He fell back, on his feet, only slightly unbalanced. And he saw the dirty blonde hair, the vivid blue eyes, the furious frown, the youthful but mature face.

And he knew what his mistake had been.

'_Run, boy, run. Never return, he'd not forgive you. Run. He died because of you.'_

"Remember me?" The boy asked, voice low and adult, filled with rage. Ganondorf wondered how he could have mistaken that voice for that of the princess.

"How could I not?" Ganondorf spat. He glared at the boy. "You should have been wiser and followed my advice, boy."

'_Run, boy, run.'_

"I did," Link spat back, lunging at Ganondorf. Their blades clashed, pushing them back forcefully again. "I did. Seven…" he swung, "…damned…" he swung again, "…years!" He moved forward, forcing Ganondorf back with his anger. "For seven godforsaken years, I followed your word, thinking you had meant well! Thinking you had meant to protect me! BUT YOU KILLED HIM."

'_Never return, he'd not forgive you.'_

Now, Link had turned into a raging killing machine, hardly thinking, only swinging, ducking, avoiding, not accounting for energy. He fed off seven years of guilt and self-hatred, seven years he could finally blame on the right person.

"You killed him!" His voice screamed above that of the fire, tearing at his throat. Sweat ran down his face, and dirt and soot matted his hair. He still swung, anger filling him so completely that nothing mattered anymore.

Then, Ganondorf got tired of avoiding the young man's blows, and began to give out some of his own.

Link fell to the burning pavement, breathless, blood of Ganondorf's sword flicking into his face, trailing thickly down his cheek, like an insult.

He pushed himself back onto his feet, only to jump to avoid Ganondorf's blade.

Their swordfight was a spectacle of deadly wonder. In the circle of fire, breathing in the scorching air, dancing on the broken and soiled pavement, twirling in a lightshow of orange lights reflecting off their metallic weapons, and the muscles bulging under the pulsing, sweaty skin, the clash of their breaths and the sound of their grunts added to the match of hatred versus evil. Had there even been a chance for either of them to escape alive? It seemed, in the middle of the hellfire, that even the gods did not know.

'_Run.'_

And then, Link was touched.

The blood Ganondorf ripped from the young man's chest flew away in a wide semi-circle, droplets flicking onto the pavement. Link reached up to his torso, feeling the blood seeping through his clothes. He didn't even feel the pain, only a mild burn. Then, the sweat and dirt touched his wound, and he nearly buckled over.

Ganondorf almost struck him for good. It was instinct that made Link move, and it was only once safe that the young man realized he'd actually moved.

Now, a searing pain flared through him, radiating down his arms and legs, hampering his movements.

Ganondorf was breathing heavily, taking the pause to catch up on air. He was older than the boy, and though their speed was matched, his search for power was no concourse for the young man's fury and determination.

"God bloody son-of-a-bastard," Ganondorf spat, moving towards Link, decided to end the game, "you should have followed my word. You should have gone and stayed away. For your stupidity, you'll have to lose your life."

"I'm not done," Link ground out, and he leaped out of Ganondorf's blade's range. "I'm not done making you pay."

Against all odds, Link moved. Quick. He darted from side to side, screaming against the pain, and raised his blade sideways, ready to destroy the Evil King.

Ganondorf raised his hand.

It was chopped off.

An unearthly scream tore out of the King's throat, and he dropped his sword. His bloody stump was brought near his face, and he clutched it with unimaginable torment. He screamed, and screamed, silencing only to grit his teeth with rage as the bloody tip of Link's blade came to rest under his chin.

Impassive, Link nevertheless glared at the Evil King's scowling, pained face.

"Have it out, then," Ganondorf gritted, voice hoarse. "Kill me!"

Link shook his head slowly.

"I have a better plan," he said, and leaned close, very close, so he was practically nose to nose with Ganondorf. He glared into the Evil King's furious eyes, and said, in a low voice, so low no one else, had there been someone around, could have possibly heard… "_Run, Ganondorf, run._" Sweat dripped from both their faces. "…_Never return._" Blood poured from their wounds onto themselves and the sweltering pavement, sizzling. "…_He'd never forgive you. Run._" Link's eyes were sharp and heated. "…_He died because of… _you"

Ganondorf, seeing Link's face rise away, spat on the young man's boots. Link didn't even blink.

"I could have killed you, but I spared you," the King said.

"Right back at you," Link said, pulling his blade away and getting ready to sheathe it out of sight.

Ganondorf furiously reached for his blade with his valid hand.

It would be his last movement. Link's sword sunk into the man's stomach, pulling out and ripping all in its wake. Shocked, Ganondorf looked up at Link, angry eyes wide. Link looked down blankly, in the blistering heat.

"I forgot to tell you," Link said, the burning winds violently playing with his blood matted hair, and smoke in the background making Ganondorf squint, "The only one who can marry Zelda is the royal consort or, in other words, _me_. That ought to finish you, _Evil King_."

In a questionable show of mercy, he slit Ganondorf's throat.

* * *

Link, changed and silent, was joined by Zelda on his way back to the damaged inn. He silently returned the bloody blade to a weeping Anju and a solemn Kafei. 

Zelda was also crying. She had to help Link up the stairs. He collapsed in the steps before they even were halfway. He did not wake for three days, and rumours said he wept constantly in his sleep, and that the only reason he seemed solemn was because Zelda stayed by his side all along to wipe the tears.

As for Koume and Kotake, the twinwitcheswere dead.

Darmani and Mikau hadn't said more. They had returned from the flame consumed houses with grim looks and various minor injuries, and had refused to explain how the witches had come to pass.

As for the fire, only the gods recall how much time it took for it to be appeased. The number of declared deaths was still climbing seven days after the brazier had been put out.

Misery was not rooted out easily. It took many days of patience and careful use of the lands. It took a month of cleaning to take out all the remaining burnt debris.

Forgiveness for Zelda's seven year absence was instant, however.

As for the young man who had ended the Evil King's life, it took a long time to understand he was the same as the adorable boy who used to walk side-by-side with Darunia so long ago.

He was acclaimed as a hero. The Hero of Seven Years became his name, and turned him a supposed descendant of the Legend.

But Link had fallen into a semi-silence, one only Zelda seemed to cure him of, and, slowly, he returned to his former self, if a little more reserved.

He had grown. Darmani had declared it once, and Mikau's silent nod had sealed the word.

Then, in a hurry, a year more passed by.

* * *

**Review if you want the last part to come up.**

**Love,**

**CM**


	13. Rebuilding

**Hey, lookie that. And no warning either! Amazing, I know.**

**Well, it's Disney based. How could I NOT have a **happily ever after**? Come on. That would have been so **cheap**. Wouldn't you have felt cheated?**

**I knew it.**

**Thanks for reading until now, people.**

**Hylian Kings**

**By CM**

**Final Chapter: Rebuilding**

A year.

A single year that had lasted longer than all of their years put together. So much had been given in that year.

A year that had turned utter misery to absolute prosperity.

Link was seated quietly in his private chambers, gazing outside the window at the banners and draperies, the lot of which had been put out specifically for this day. Flags and heraldry floated in the wind, which carried flower petals by the hundreds. White and pink and red whirled around the rebuilt white towers. High on the roof, servants were cheerfully throwing them. Down below, crowds of people were sporting smiles and their finest clothes.

A year.

It had been so long. So long, but at last, this day was his.

And hers.

If rebuilding had taken all her time and attention, he hadn't been ready to give her up completely to Hyrule. Holding on to her hand, he'd risked begging her for more.

And she'd said yes, tears in her eyes and pure light blue robes billowing in the breeze.

And now, at last, they were ready to fulfill the promise they'd made not but three months ago.

He heard Mikau walk in, dressed in official wear that Link knew made him uncomfortable.

"So," the man said, reaching Link's chair and looking out the window as well, "ready to become Hyrule's King?"

"I think so."

"It's lucky that ya—no. Not 'ya'. _You. _Lucky you haven't been bothered by this consort person. Maybe you've got luck and he's dead. Maybe he won't come to claim your wife, well, future wife, well… You know what I mean."

"I wouldn't worry about the consort, Mikau," Link said, with a secretive smile.

It was true, though, that Link hadn't revealed himself to anyone, letting them fret, for his amusement, about a consort that had already come to claim the princess anyway.

"Whatever you say. It's true it's a bit late now."

"Not really, but don't worry about it." Link smiled. Mikau rubbed his toe on the floor, unsure. He finally spoke.

"Actually, I came on behalf of Darmani too. The big ole' chap' was practically about to break down. He wanted to come with me to congratulate you, but then he began to have tears in his eyes and he felt he couldn't come right now to congratulate our kid with me."

"Kid?"

"Hey, don't forget you're like our son, kid."

Link turned to look at Mikau. And smiled. "I won't forget. Thank you for everything, Mikau."

"Yeah, you better be grateful. These clothes are the worst. If it weren't your big day, I'd say to hell with it all. But…"

"It's my big day," Link said softly, grinning. "Thank you."

Mikau clapped the young man's back, and paused. Then, breaking into a fit, he embraced his companion with vigour and loud, almost comical sobs. Link, laughing, patted his friend's back.

"Kid," Mikau sobbed, "You've gone farther than me! I'm so godspraised proud!"

Link said nothing, but he was smiling softly, happily.

"I'll never run away again," Mikau mumbled, tiny tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. "Ever," he sobbed. "If this is where it got you."

* * *

A year. Zelda heard her handmaidens bubbling about everything. She felt the veil flutter down before her eyes. Her dress, of pure white, was light and beautiful.

A year of rebuilding, of constant efforts. A year of waiting for this very instant.

She felt anxiety eat at her, but it was erased by her complete joy.

"The only thing that can go wrong is that consort business," her headmaiden said, and instantly, Zelda's beautiful face fell.

"I'd almost forgotten about that," Zelda frowned. "Do you think—"

"Don't fret 'bout it, Princess," her youngest handmaiden advised. "As long as you have Master Link by your side, you'll be fine."

Zelda smiled softly. "Thank you."

"You're beautiful," another handmaiden gushed. "He'll fall in love all over again, Princess!"

Zelda felt her heart swell at the thought of Link. He'd looked so eager, so gentle, so sheepish, so awkward three months ago, when he asked her…

A delighted smile bloomed on her face.

"I don't know how my luck came to me."

"You've worked so hard, Princess. You deserve the recompense."

Tears pearled in the princess' eyes. Her eyes became glossy with water.

"There is nothing I could have possibly done that deserved me a man like Link."

"I think he believes the same," the headmaiden giggled. "I heard him talk with obvious amazement to Masters Mikau and Darmani."

"What did he say?" Zelda grinned, entertained, though she took it lightly.

"That he didn't know why you'd even agreed to it. He said that it was beyond him. He said he thought you'd want a higher standing man."

Zelda shook her head. "That sounds like him. He's apparently unaware of his own worth."

"Still," a handmaiden mumbled, "I hope this consort doesn't show up before the wedding is over. Wouldn't that just spoil it?"

"If he hasn't shown himself, then he is not going to," the youngest exclaimed. "And now stop talking about him! Can't you see that the Princess wants to be happy today?"

"Thank you," Zelda repeated, appeased by her handmaiden's words.

* * *

The banquet following the splendour of the ceremony was loud, cheerful and satisfied even Darmani, who ended up presenting his congratulations to the newlyweds despite his good-humoured tears.

In fact, everyone, including Anju and Kafei, who had been wed only a month earlier, had taken to drink, and presented touching toasts. Now, the party was rolling on its own, and Link and Zelda, after sharing many dances-focused only on the other-eclipsed themselves, without anyone noticing them.

Which was why, though the party was still ongoing, they were out by the many fountains and were amiably talking. They hadn't lost their goals, and hadn't lost sight of the global view, but in that instant, they allowed themselves to focus on each other solely.

He kissed her neck from behind, pushing aside her golden, moon-touched locks. He took in her scent, the delicate perfume making him long for more of her.

"Link," she breathed, "you know about two weeks ago?"

He blinked lazily, smiling against her bare shoulder. He'd pulled her sleeve down slightly so he could access the skin. He hummed. "Yes."

"I think you're going to be a bit surprised."

"Try me," Link mumbled, furrowing a brow, curious.

She turned to smile at him, her blue eyes shining. "I think you're going to have an heir, my dear King of Hyrule."

Stunned, Link felt his jaw drop, only to pick himself up and say, "You mean tonight's job is already done?"

"I think so," she breathed, and kissed him soundly. "Are you alright?"

"Alright?" He breathed. "I should be asking _you_ the question! Are you well fed? Do you sleep well? You won't be missing anything, I promise."

"Link," she laughed.

"Zelda," he breathed, "I love you, and I love the child already."

He kissed her softly, brushing aside the locks of her hair that brushed her cheek. He pressed his forehead to hers, saying, "I don't know how I managed to get you in this way."

"In this way? What way? What do you mean?"

Link blinked, then smiled, and backed off, laughing to himself. She gazed at him inquisitively. He turned to her.

"Zelda, are you glad to have married a man of your own choosing?"

She smiled. "I don't think I could have chosen a better man. I'm glad the consort my parents chose didn't appear."

Link sighed, still smiling. "Actually," he said, taking her by the waist and pulling her along with him, towards their bedchambers, all the while nuzzling her ear, "he did show up. And I'm still surprised I did not need him to make you mine."

She moved away slightly and gazed at him, panicked. "What?" She breathed.

Link was still smiling. She looked horrified.

"You didn't kill him, did you, Link?"

He shook his head, now laughing out loud. "Dear Nayru, no! Zelda, you really have a morbid imagination."

"Then," she frowned, "what happened? And why didn't you tell me?"

Link sighed. "Well, he wanted you to choose the man you wanted, and not to interfere. He knew that if he was meant to be with you, he would be." He grinned. "And he was right."

"But I married you…" Zelda breathed, worried.

"Yes," Link said, opening the garden door to their private chambers and ushering her in with a smirk. "But you see, Zelda, there's a little something that I, well, that I omitted to tell you..."

The intricate garden door closed behind them.

* * *

**Glad or what?**

**Okay. All you people who DIDN'T review and STILL read my story until now, please just drop an anonymous little review, telling me something like, 'i like a lots roflolololmao". Come on.** Don't be cheap.** I gave you a Disney ending. How could you diss a Disney ending?**

**Come on. Review.**

**Please also note that I'm going to slow down a bit now in the matter of uploading just about everything. You'll have noticed I uploaded a heckuvalot in the past two months, so I think I deserve a short break.**

**This is not a good bye. Geez, stop panicking. I wouldn't be able to quit writing even if I wanted to, so...**

**See you next time.**

**Love,**

**CM**


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